The Indian National Congress is set to announce its choice for the next Kerala chief minister on Thursday, ending days of suspense, intense lobbying, and extended discussions within the party, PTI reported.
After a nearly 40-minute meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at Kharge’s residence, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the announcement would be made the following day, as the party leadership had completed all deliberations on the matter.
The suspense over the party’s pick would end 10 days after the results of the assembly elections were declared. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) had won over two-thirds majority in the Kerala Assembly polls.
“As authorised by the members of the CLP in Kerala, the high command of the Congress has completed all discussions, and the decision on who the next chief minister of Kerala will be will be announced tomorrow,” Ramesh said, as reported by PTI.
All democratic practices and processes will be followed in announcing the chief minister’s name, a senior leader, who did not wish to be named, said, indicating that the CM nominee may be revealed in Kerala.
AICC general secretary for organisation, K C Venugopal, Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Kerala assembly, V D Satheesan, and senior party leader Ramesh Chennithala are among those in the race for the post.
The party has been grappling with its chief ministerial pick and has held several rounds of discussions with local leaders and former party chiefs in the state.
Rahul Gandhi had previously met several leaders from Kerala and around eight former state unit chiefs to ascertain the ground situation.
NSS Gen Secy claims UDF allies’ intervention delayed CM decision
NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair said on Wednesday that UDF coalition partners, including the IUML, should not have interfered in the Kerala chief minister selection process and that their intervention had delayed the decision, PTI reported.
Nair claimed that not just the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), but other UDF coalition parties also interfered in the selection process, which was an internal matter of the Congress. They should not have interfered or backed any of the leaders under consideration for the post, he said.
“The delay in a decision by the Congress central leadership is due to this interference. If not, the decision would have come much earlier,” he said.
Meanwhile, grassroots protests by party workers reportedly prompted the Indian National Congress leadership to consult state-level leaders before finalising its decision on the next Kerala chief minister.
Within the United Democratic Front (UDF), allies are said to favour V. D. Satheesan, who also enjoys strong support among both the public and party workers. However, the contest has become more complex with powerful AICC general secretary K. C. Venugopal also emerging as a contender, making it harder for the party high command to reach a consensus.
Kerala remains the fourth southern state where the Indian National Congress is in power, alongside its presence in Karnataka and Telangana, while it has also formed an alliance with the ruling TVK in Tamil Nadu after the recent elections.
Key Takeaways
- The announcement of Kerala’s next chief minister has faced delays due to internal party dynamics and coalition partner interference.
- V. D. Satheesan is favored among UDF allies, but K. C. Venugopal’s candidacy complicates the selection process.
- Grassroots protests among party workers influenced the Congress leadership’s decision-making process.
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