KOCHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As a triumphant V D Satheesan was accorded a hero’s welcome in Kochi on Tuesday evening, a parallel power play unfolded in New Delhi, where AICC general secretary K C Venugopal staked his claim to the chief minister’s post, asserting the support of 47 Congress MLA-designates at a meeting held at party chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence.
Top sources said a decision on the new CM is most likely to be taken on May 11 or 12, and the swearing-in will be held before May 15.
Venugopal joined the discussions in New Delhi, which were attended by Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Deepa Dasmunsi. Sources said KPCC working president A P Anilkumar and Muvattupuzha MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan proposed Venugopal’s name to the high command.
A close confidant of Rahul, Venugopal has emerged as the frontrunner for the CM post. “Of the 63 newly-elected MLAs, Satheesan has the backing of 10, while Ramesh Chennithala has the support of six. The rest will back KC,” a Congress source in Delhi told the TNIE.
However, this figure was contested by the Chennithala and Satheesan camps, who claimed the backing of 22 and 30 MLA-designates, respectively.
Congress sources said backing Venugopal risks running against popular sentiment within the party, with grassroots workers widely crediting Satheesan as the architect of the Congress’ historic victory. “The high command would do well to heed the mood on the ground before taking a decision,” a source said, pointing to the strong support for Satheesan, who, as leader of the opposition, “set the campaign’s narrative”.
“If Satheesan is not rewarded for his hard work and winning strategy, it will be a historic blunder,” another source warned. They said key allies, including the Indian Union Muslim League and Kerala Congress-Joseph, also back Satheesan, though they may not openly oppose the high command’s decision. “After all, it’s Satheesan who has done the hard work,” a UDF leader told TNIE.
Sources said Venugopal’s organisational experience and proximity to the national leadership give him a clear edge.
‘Central observers will arrive in state tomorrow’
However, if Rahul prefers to retain him in New Delhi as AICC organisational general secretary, the contest will narrow to Satheesan and Chennithala.
According to Congress leaders, central observers — including Sachin Pilot, K J George, Kanhaiya Kumar and Imran Pratapgarhi — will arrive in the state on May 7. Sources said the team could be expanded to include other senior representatives of the high command.
The observers will meet newly elected legislators individually to gauge their views on the next leader of the party. Dasmunsi may also be part of the team.
“In the meetings, the observers may also indicate whether the high command has any preference,” said a senior Congress leader. After one-to-one meetings with the legislators, the Congress legislature party meeting is likely to be convened.
Party leaders indicated that the legislature party meeting may pass a resolution authorising the AICC president to take the final call. They added that, if needed, CM aspirants and senior leaders could be summoned to Delhi for further consultations with the high command. “Rahul and Kharge will have the final word,” a party leader said.
With KPCC president Sunny Joseph, three working presidents A P Anil Kumar, P C Vishnunath and Shafi Parambil and UDF convenor Adoor Prakash—who now commands considerable influence in the organisation—throwing their weight behind Venugopal, both Satheesan and Chennithala camps have intensified their manoeuvring in the run-up to the legislative party meeting.
Though Satheesan and Chennithala camps cite “people’s mandate” and “seniority” to stake their claims to the CM’s post, both state and national leaders told TNIE that these are not the sole criteria for selecting the legislative party leader.
“Congress has not fought any of the assembly elections projecting a particular leader, nor has it claimed that the leader of the opposition would automatically become CM if the party comes to power,” said an AICC official in charge of a north Indian state.
Vijay stakes claim to form govt
Chennai: A day after a historic victory where his party secured 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, TVK president C Joseph Vijay has formally staked his claim to form the government. While sources said the swearing-in ceremony could take place on May 7, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has not yet issued an official invitation.
Cong to forge pact with TVK
New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday decided to enter into a power-sharing arrangement with actor Vijay’s TVK in Tamil Nadu to form a new secular government. The Congress has five seats in the new assembly. A resolution to support TVK was adopted at an urgent meeting of the TN Congress Political Affairs Committee convened at 10.30pm.
