THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a development likely to unsettle a few senior Congress leaders, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan is fast emerging as the party’s preferred chief ministerial face if UDF wins the upcoming assembly elections in Kerala, according to the third survey conducted by poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu.
Congress sources said Satheesan has surged ahead of senior leaders like Ramesh Chennithala, K C Venugopal and Shashi Tharoor in the race for the coveted post. The survey also included leaders from rival parties such as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, former minister K K Shailaja and BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, they said.
The survey reportedly featured 12 questions on key issues, including candidate selection and the preferred chief minister. It asked respondents about the incumbent government’s drawbacks, their CM choice, whether they would vote for Congress, and how the party should pick its chief minister. It also sought views on whether the Congress should announce its chief ministerial candidate before the elections.
For each assembly seat, respondents assessed around six potential candidates, including some from outside the constituency.