Congress camps ‘flex’ muscle as Kerala CM race spills onto streets

TIRUVANANTHAMPURAM: Congress’ battle for Kerala CM crossed from closed-door bargaining to open-street mobilisation on Thursday as rival camps staged demonstrations, mounted flex-board offensives and pressed competing claims before AICC observers tasked with choosing the state’s next helmsman.A power struggle erupted despite Congress-led UDF sweeping 103 seats in the 140-member assembly, handing the party its biggest mandate in decades and reviving factional fault lines long buried during the campaign.AICC observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken held marathon consultations with senior functionaries, MPs, newly elected MLAs and UDF allies before the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) adopted a resolution authorising party president Mallikarjun Kharge to pick the next CM.Three contenders — party MP KC Venugopal, 63; sixterm MLAs VD Satheesan, 61; and Ramesh Chennithala, 69 —intensified lobbying across the 63-member Congress bloc. AICC general secretary Venugopal’s camp claimed backing of 43 MLAs, while Satheesan and Chennithala factions projected support of 35 and 22, respectively, triggering aggressive last-mile manoeuvring before the brass seals the verdict.Sources said camps led by Satheesan and Chennithala resisted attempts to project Venugopal as a consensus candidate. Venugopal’s supporters said numbers tilted the race decisively in his favour. MP and former KPCC chief K Sudhakaran submitted a letter backing Venugopal’s candidature.During consultations, Satheesan is said to have argued that the CM choice could not hinge solely on arithmetic inside CLP and should also factor in public sentiment and coalition dynamics. Many UDF allies, including IUML, RSP, Kerala Congress, CMP and Kerala Congress (Jacob), are learnt to have backed Satheesan.Congress brass is also weighing possible political fallout if Venugopal gets the nod. Sources said Satheesan has indicated he could stay away from both cabinet and organisational responsibilities if denied the top post, raising stakes in an already volatile succession contest.Maken said the observers held one-to-one consultations with all MLAs before leaving for Delhi to submit a report to the party brass. A decision on the CM is expected by Sunday after consultations between