THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the deadlock over the selection of the next Kerala chief minister continuing even a week after the UDF swept the assembly polls, the Congress high command has summoned former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) presidents to New Delhi for detailed discussions on Tuesday.
The high command has also asked party state president Sunny Joseph and working presidents A P Anil Kumar, P C Vishnunadh and Shafi Parambil to be present in Delhi for further deliberations.
The three CM contenders — K C Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan — have pinned their hopes on these meetings. The move comes after former party president Sonia Gandhi and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra favoured detailed discussions with former KPCC presidents to resolve the deadlock.
However, there are indications that the move is aimed at warding off criticism that all stakeholders were not taken into confidence.
The high command appears to have concluded that detailed deliberations with former KPCC presidents would create an impression that the final decision was taken after considering all factors and consulting leaders at every level.
Except for Mullappally Ramachandran, former KPCC chiefs V M Sudheeran, K Muraleedharan, K Sudhakaran and M M Hassan are expected to reach Delhi by Tuesday.
According to party sources, Rahul had a telephone conversation with Mullappally on Monday after the latter expressed his inability to reach Delhi at a short notice.
Sources said the high command is likely to meet the leaders individually.
Though former KPCC presidents and other senior leaders had met the two central observers during their visit to Kerala, the latest decision is learnt to have been taken in view of the continuing stalemate over CM selection. Sources said both Rahul and party president Mallikarjun Kharge would meet these leaders and seek their opinion on the choice of the new CM and the overall political atmosphere.
After the meetings, the high command may summon the three contenders to Delhi and inform them of the final decision in the presence of both Rahul and Kharge, they said.
Meanwhile, the IUML, which had earlier aggressively canvassed for Satheesan, has now reportedly decided to accept the Congress high command’s decision. There is also growing criticism among some newly elected Congress MLAs against what they described as “stage managed protests” organised against them at private functions.
“There is a concerted effort behind these activities. One or two individuals raise slogans demanding that Satheesan must become the CM, while another group records the scenes on mobile phones and later circulates them on social media,” said a Congress MLA from the Malabar region.
Some Congress leaders alleged that certain fringe religious organisations, representing less than 1% of the Muslim community, and their workers were trying to sabotage Congress’ organisational process.
They also pointed to the sudden halt in protest marches, after the high command warned of stringent action, as evidence that the campaign was orchestrated.
CM announcement likely today?
Indicating that the Congress high command may announce the party’s chief minister pick on Tuesday, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, who is on a visit to his home state, is returning to Delhi on Tuesday. Kharge, who was scheduled to return on Wednesday, decided to cut short his visit. Meanwhile, there are indications that the central leadership would seek the advice of veteran leader A K Antony too before taking the final decision.