How Congress in Kerala is already warring over who should be its next CM
The debate over chief ministership points to the resurgence of factional fights in the Congress. How are UDF partners reading it?
It all started during the poll campaign itself. In Thiruvalla, Congress veteran and former Rajya Sabha deputy chairman P.J. Kurien declared: “If the UDF wins, Ramesh Chennithala will be the chief minister.” The remark was made in Chennithala’s presence.
Then on April 10, Mohammed Shiyas, president of the Ernakulam District Congress Committee and the party’s candidate from Kochi seat, rooted for V.D. Satheesan. He wrote on social media that the next chief minister should be from Ernakulam district. A snub from the party’s state leadership forced Shiyas to delete his post.
Satheesan was leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Kerala legislative assembly. His intervention is thought to have secured Shiyas the poll ticket from Kochi. Satheesan’s followers believe the UDF is winning the polls and he is the architect of that victory.
Social media was buzzing on April 15 again as K. Sudhakaran, a former chief of the Congress in Kerala, backed AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal for the post of chief minister. He compared Venugopal’s leadership to that of Congress veterans K. Karunakaran, Vayalar Ravi, A.K. Antony and Oommen Chandy. Ironically, during the poll campaign, Sudhakaran had supported Chennithala.
The debate over the next chief minister even before the counting of votes indicates the resurgence of factional war in the Congress. While the factions are at it, Chennithala has played down the canvassing.
Chennithala visited New Delhi on April 16 to brief Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi about the elections and post-poll possibilities in Kerala. In a conversation with INDIA TODAY, he said: “The high command will decide the next chief minister should the UDF get majority. This will be based on consultations at various levels, including the new MLAs. This debate over the next chief minister is untimely. I never floated my name or engaged any team to promote me.”
How are UDF partners reading the script? The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is certainly upset. “Congress leaders are engaged in a disappointing and untimely activity. Let the votes be counted and then the Congress can decide its leader. The public debate over chief minister will hurt those who voted for the UDF,” said P.M.A. Salam, state general secretary of IUML, urging the Congress central leadership to rein in the party’s state leaders.
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It all started during the poll campaign itself. In Thiruvalla, Congress veteran and former Rajya Sabha deputy chairman P.J. Kurien declared: “If the UDF wins, Ramesh Chennithala will be the chief minister.” The remark was made in Chennithala’s presence.
Then on April 10, Mohammed Shiyas, president of the Ernakulam District Congress Committee and the party’s candidate from Kochi seat, rooted for V.D. Satheesan. He wrote on social media that the next chief minister should be from Ernakulam district. A snub from the party’s state leadership forced Shiyas to delete his post.
Satheesan was leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Kerala legislative assembly. His intervention is thought to have secured Shiyas the poll ticket from Kochi. Satheesan’s followers believe the UDF is winning the polls and he is the architect of that victory.
Social media was buzzing on April 15 again as K. Sudhakaran, a former chief of the Congress in Kerala, backed AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal for the post of chief minister. He compared Venugopal’s leadership to that of Congress veterans K. Karunakaran, Vayalar Ravi, A.K. Antony and Oommen Chandy. Ironically, during the poll campaign, Sudhakaran had supported Chennithala.
The debate over the next chief minister even before the counting of votes indicates the resurgence of factional war in the Congress. While the factions are at it, Chennithala has played down the canvassing.
Chennithala visited New Delhi on April 16 to brief Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi about the elections and post-poll possibilities in Kerala. In a conversation with INDIA TODAY, he said: “The high command will decide the next chief minister should the UDF get majority. This will be based on consultations at various levels, including the new MLAs. This debate over the next chief minister is untimely. I never floated my name or engaged any team to promote me.”
How are UDF partners reading the script? The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is certainly upset. “Congress leaders are engaged in a disappointing and untimely activity. Let the votes be counted and then the Congress can decide its leader. The public debate over chief minister will hurt those who voted for the UDF,” said P.M.A. Salam, state general secretary of IUML, urging the Congress central leadership to rein in the party’s state leaders.
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