VD Satheesan, KC Venugopal or Ramesh Chennithala? Confusion prevails in Congress over next Kerala CM
There is a confusion in Congress on to select between three leaders - VD Satheesan, KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala - for the top post in Kerala. It is worth mentioning that the Congress-led UDF registered a thumping victory in the recently held Kerala elections.
Even after the United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a complete majority in the recently held Kerala assembly elections, the Congress hasn't decided over the next chief minister of the state, as the party's top brass is yet to take a call between three leaders: VD Satheesan, KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala.
This has only created a confusion between supporters of the three leaders, who are using different means such as putting up posters and flex boards to pressurise the Congress top brass to make their leader the chief minister.
Sources had told India TV earlier that KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala remain the frontrunner for the top post. While Venugopal, a Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha, is known for his closeness with Rahul Gandhi, Chennithala has been one of the leading faces of Congress in Kerala, who has been a state home minister and also the leader of opposition in the assembly.
But many in Congress want Satheesan to be made the chief minister. Satheesan, who represents the Paravur assembly seat, is one of the most senior leaders of Congress in Kerala and has a strong presence at the grassroot level. Known for his sharp attacks on the Left, his supporters believe Satheesan has brought a generational shift in the Kerala unit of Congress.
This confusion has been highlighted by Congress leader KC Joseph, who has slammed the public tussle by party supporters over the Kerala chief minister post. In a Facebook post, Joseph said people should realise that taking the internal affairs of the Congress onto the streets would create dangerous consequences.
"If one spits while lying down, it will fall on one's own face," the senior Congress leader said. "This is not good for anyone. Trying to scratch one's head with a burning stick will be disastrous."
Amid all this, Congress' Kerala unit chief Sunny Joseph said earlier in the day that a decision regarding the next chief minister will be taken by the party's central leadership. "I am going for a discussion before the AICC president. I am going to Kharge ji's house. There we will have a discussion and the decision will be announced by the high command," he told reporters.
The Congress-led UDF registered a thumping victory in the Kerala elections. The alliance won 102 seats, with the Congress bagging 63 seats alone. Its alliance partners like the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) won 22 seats, while the Kerala Congress (Jacob) and the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI) bagged two seats each.