Kerala CM suspense drags into day 7 amid Congress factional war, poster fights
An intense show of strength and poster wars are underway in Kerala, with Congress workers demanding that their preferred leaders be picked as the Chief Minister, as the party's decision drags on.
All other states that went to the polls along with Kerala have already installed their chief ministers. However, seven days after the Assembly election results were announced, the suspense over the Congress's choice for Kerala Chief Minister continues, with the party high command yet to announce its nominee.
The Congress high command is engaged in intense deliberations to finalise a name from among the top contenders — KC Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala and VD Satheesan — amid a fierce factional war, poster campaigns and shows of strength by supporters of each leader over the past few days. According to party sources, an announcement is likely soon.
On Saturday, the Congress leadership convened in Delhi to discuss the matter after observers sent to Kerala sought the preferences of elected MLAs. The three-hour meeting at Mallikarjun Kharge's residence was attended by senior leader Rahul Gandhi, All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Kerala Deepa Dasmunshi, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, senior state leaders Ramesh Chennithala and VD Satheesan, Kerala Congress chief Sunny Joseph, and senior observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik.
There was no major development from the Congress high command on Sunday, but Monday is expected to be crucial for the state, which has voted the Congress-led alliance to power with 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly.
Sources said a majority of Congress MLAs favoured Venugopal for the top post, while Satheesan was widely seen as the public’s preferred choice. The delay in the party’s decision is understood to have arisen from a debate over whether the chief ministerial pick should be based on legislative backing or popular appeal.
Supporters of both leaders have put up posters and banners in Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram. Some university students in Delhi also expressed support for Satheesan and welcomed him on his late-night arrival in the national capital, while posters projecting Venugopal as the next chief minister appeared outside Kharge's residence.
After the Delhi meeting, Chennithala said, "Everyone expressed their views and Rahulji heard them patiently. The final decision on the chief minister will be taken by the Congress high command and whatever decision is made will be accepted by all."
Satheesan said the Congress secured a historic victory in the Kerala Assembly polls because of the hard work of its workers, but noted that demonstrations, social media campaigns and even flex boards had emerged over the chief ministerial selection, creating an impression of divisions within the party. "All of us are requesting together that such demonstrations and campaigns should not be carried out for any of us. It will hurt Congress workers, UDF activists and the large number of people who have voted for us," he said.
Endorsing his remarks, Venugopal said people had given the party a huge mandate and expected a UDF government that would work for them. "There have been some unfortunate incidents. These should end," he said.
Dasmunshi said the final decision by the high command would come "very soon" and added, "Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi will take the final decision." She also said, "All Congress MLAs have signed a one-line resolution authorising the high command to make the final decision."
Referring to protests by various factions in the Congress-led UDF over the party's chief ministerial nominee during the past two days, Dasmunshi said some unruly incidents had taken place and that these were not part of the Congress culture.
BJP MOCKS CONGRESS OVER CM DEADLOCK
The delay in naming a chief minister, coupled with allegations of intense lobbying for the top post, has triggered sharp criticism and ridicule from Opposition parties, which accused the party of making a mockery of the people’s mandate.
Responding to a sarcastic social media post claiming that the Kerala BJP wanted KC Venugopal in Kerala while the national BJP preferred him in Delhi, implying that he posed little political threat to the BJP, Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “I will neither confirm nor deny that this is true.”
Senior CPI(M) leader KK Shailaja commented that the "musical chair game" in Congress is "utterly ridiculous."
"The musical chair game being played by the Congress while mocking the people’s mandate is utterly ridiculous. If there is such a huge dispute over the chief minister’s post itself, will the government be able to take appropriate decisions on any issue in the future?" she asked.
The former minister added If the Congress does not end this uncertainty and get ready to form the government at the earliest, Kerala will move towards severe anarchy.
The Congress has 63 MLAs in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, while the Indian Union Muslim League has 22 legislators, making the alliance partner's views important in the final choice. The Kerala Congress has won eight seats and the Revolutionary Socialist Party three in the just-concluded polls. The UDF has won 102 seats in total, giving it more than a two-thirds majority, even as the party awaits the high command's decision on who will lead the new government.
All other states that went to the polls along with Kerala have already installed their chief ministers. However, seven days after the Assembly election results were announced, the suspense over the Congress's choice for Kerala Chief Minister continues, with the party high command yet to announce its nominee.
The Congress high command is engaged in intense deliberations to finalise a name from among the top contenders — KC Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala and VD Satheesan — amid a fierce factional war, poster campaigns and shows of strength by supporters of each leader over the past few days. According to party sources, an announcement is likely soon.
On Saturday, the Congress leadership convened in Delhi to discuss the matter after observers sent to Kerala sought the preferences of elected MLAs. The three-hour meeting at Mallikarjun Kharge's residence was attended by senior leader Rahul Gandhi, All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Kerala Deepa Dasmunshi, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, senior state leaders Ramesh Chennithala and VD Satheesan, Kerala Congress chief Sunny Joseph, and senior observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik.
There was no major development from the Congress high command on Sunday, but Monday is expected to be crucial for the state, which has voted the Congress-led alliance to power with 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly.
Sources said a majority of Congress MLAs favoured Venugopal for the top post, while Satheesan was widely seen as the public’s preferred choice. The delay in the party’s decision is understood to have arisen from a debate over whether the chief ministerial pick should be based on legislative backing or popular appeal.
Supporters of both leaders have put up posters and banners in Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram. Some university students in Delhi also expressed support for Satheesan and welcomed him on his late-night arrival in the national capital, while posters projecting Venugopal as the next chief minister appeared outside Kharge's residence.
After the Delhi meeting, Chennithala said, "Everyone expressed their views and Rahulji heard them patiently. The final decision on the chief minister will be taken by the Congress high command and whatever decision is made will be accepted by all."
Satheesan said the Congress secured a historic victory in the Kerala Assembly polls because of the hard work of its workers, but noted that demonstrations, social media campaigns and even flex boards had emerged over the chief ministerial selection, creating an impression of divisions within the party. "All of us are requesting together that such demonstrations and campaigns should not be carried out for any of us. It will hurt Congress workers, UDF activists and the large number of people who have voted for us," he said.
Endorsing his remarks, Venugopal said people had given the party a huge mandate and expected a UDF government that would work for them. "There have been some unfortunate incidents. These should end," he said.
Dasmunshi said the final decision by the high command would come "very soon" and added, "Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi will take the final decision." She also said, "All Congress MLAs have signed a one-line resolution authorising the high command to make the final decision."
Referring to protests by various factions in the Congress-led UDF over the party's chief ministerial nominee during the past two days, Dasmunshi said some unruly incidents had taken place and that these were not part of the Congress culture.
BJP MOCKS CONGRESS OVER CM DEADLOCK
The delay in naming a chief minister, coupled with allegations of intense lobbying for the top post, has triggered sharp criticism and ridicule from Opposition parties, which accused the party of making a mockery of the people’s mandate.
Responding to a sarcastic social media post claiming that the Kerala BJP wanted KC Venugopal in Kerala while the national BJP preferred him in Delhi, implying that he posed little political threat to the BJP, Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “I will neither confirm nor deny that this is true.”
Senior CPI(M) leader KK Shailaja commented that the "musical chair game" in Congress is "utterly ridiculous."
"The musical chair game being played by the Congress while mocking the people’s mandate is utterly ridiculous. If there is such a huge dispute over the chief minister’s post itself, will the government be able to take appropriate decisions on any issue in the future?" she asked.
The former minister added If the Congress does not end this uncertainty and get ready to form the government at the earliest, Kerala will move towards severe anarchy.
The Congress has 63 MLAs in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, while the Indian Union Muslim League has 22 legislators, making the alliance partner's views important in the final choice. The Kerala Congress has won eight seats and the Revolutionary Socialist Party three in the just-concluded polls. The UDF has won 102 seats in total, giving it more than a two-thirds majority, even as the party awaits the high command's decision on who will lead the new government.
