Cong keeps Kerala CM decision under wraps after key meet

The Congress high command, led by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, is set to announce the new Kerala chief minister very soon, following a crucial meeting and amidst calls for party unity.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi will take the final decision on the new Kerala chief minister and the name will be announced very soon, AICC general secretary in-charge of the state Deepa Dasmunshi said on Saturday.

She was addressing the media after the Congress' top brass held an over three-hour meeting to discuss government formation in Kerala.

The meeting was convened by Kharge at his residence, where Rahul Gandhi, Dasmunshi, General Secretary, Organisation, K C Venugopal, and senior Kerala leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan were present, besides Kerala Congress unit chief Sunny Joseph and senior observers, Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik.

Decision On Kerala CM Soon 

"Very soon, in due time, we will get our final decision by our high command," Dasmunshi said on who would be the chief minister in Kerala.

"Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi will take the final decision," she said when asked as to "who in the high command will take the call".

"All Congress MLAs have signed a one-line resolution authorising the high command to make the final decision," she said.

Referring to protests in Kerala in the last two days over the issue of the chief ministerial candidate, she said some unruly incidents have happened and they are not part of the Congress culture.

"People have given us a landslide majority and those unruly incidents are not our Congress culture. We are urging all our workers to stop this kind of activity," she told reporters.

When pressed further about the announcement of the chief minister's name, she replied, "We will have a final decision very soon."

"23rd May is the last day. I think in due time, we will get the final decision by our high command and we are waiting for that. In due time, the due course of action will be taken. The final decision has to be taken by the high command," she said.

Intense lobbying for CM post

The Congress-led United Democratic Front's sweeping assembly poll victory in Kerala has triggered a wave of lobbying and demonstrations by the supporters of senior leaders V D Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and K C Venugopal, urging the Congress leadership to select the respective leaders as the new CM. 

"The information from Delhi is that discussions on the chief ministerial candidate will be completed within 24 hours," senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan told reporters.

Acknowledging public fervour, he emphasised that flex boards and marches alone would not determine the leadership.

He added that the views of MLAs and coalition partners would also be considered by the Congress leadership.

Considerations for CM selection

"I will not publicly reveal what I told the high command representatives. I have conveyed the sentiments of the people of my constituency. The opinions expressed by the people were clearly communicated to them."

"A decision will come at the appropriate time. Seniority is not the sole criterion while selecting the chief minister. The party has not always followed that yardstick," he said.

According to Muraleedharan, the opinion of the majority of MLAs and coalition partners would also be crucial as the Congress-led UDF was not a single-party government.

"The views of coalition partners also have to be considered naturally. This is a coalition government," he added.

Public campaigns and demonstrations

Muraleedharan's remarks came amid intensifying public campaigns in several parts of the state backing Satheesan for the top post following the Congress-led UDF's massive victory in the Assembly elections.

Apart from widespread flex boards and posters supporting Satheesan, demonstrations and road shows by party workers seeking his elevation as chief minister have also been reported from various districts.

At the same time, flex boards backing senior Congress leaders K C Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala for the chief minister's post have surfaced in several places, reflecting growing pressure within different sections of the party ahead of the high command's final decision.

The two Congress observers, appointed by the party leadership to seek the opinion of newly-elected MLAs, on Friday submitted their report to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and urged the high command to take a final call on the chief ministerial candidate.

The focus has now shifted to the national capital, where the Congress leadership has summoned senior Kerala leaders for discussions on government formation.

Leaders, including V D Satheesan, senior leader Ramesh Chennithala and KPCC president Sunny Joseph, reached Delhi on Friday night for talks with the party leadership regarding government formation and the leadership issue.