Decision on Kerala CM likely today after Rahul meets ex-KPCC chiefs

New Delhi, May 12 (PTI) Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday held one-on-one deliberations with several ex-Kerala Congress chiefs in a bid to end the uncertainty over the selection of the new chief minister for the southern state, as the discussions entered the final phase with a decision likely on Wednesday.

Former Congress president Gandhi met several key party leaders from Kerala, including ex-state unit chiefs, working presidents and other key leaders, at Sonia Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence.

“Satisfied with my discussions with party leader Rahul Gandhi. A decision will be made on the Kerala CM by tomorrow," former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Muraleedharan told reporters here.

He said another meeting will be held, chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, to deliberate on the issue, and a final decision will be made after consultations with Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Kharge returned to the national capital from Bengaluru on Tuesday evening. However, he did not hold any meeting with the Kerala leaders.

The three main contenders for the post of chief minister are senior leaders Ramesh Chennithala, V D Satheesan and AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal.

Among those who met Gandhi were former KPCC chiefs M M Hassan, K Sudhakaran and Muraleedharan, Kerala Congress disciplinary committee head Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, as well as working presidents Shafi Parambil, A P Anil Kumar and P C Vishunath.

Another former Kerala Congress chief, V M Sudheeran, is learnt to have met Gandhi later.

Gandhi is learnt to have spoken to another former Kerala unit chief, Mullappally Ramachandran, over the phone.

After the discussions, Sudhakaran told reporters in Delhi that his stance on the issue has not changed, and, in his opinion, MLAs' views should be considered before deciding the CM pick.

Radhakrishnan said he communicated his views to the party high command and answered its queries to the best of his ability as a party worker.

On whether the UDF coalition partner, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), should have a say in the matter, he asked reporters why the IUML was being "dragged" into the issue.

"Why are you bringing IUML into this? They need not be involved," he said, adding that a decision on the Kerala CM will come as soon as possible.

A P Anil Kumar, the MLA-elect from Wandoor, said the high command will examine all aspects before making a decision.

A decision on the next Kerala chief minister has been pending since May 4, when the Congress-led UDF bagged 102 out of the 140 seats in the Kerala Assembly, more than a two-thirds majority.

The uncertainty continued even after party observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik met the Congress MLAs in Kerala and gathered their views, following which the central leadership held discussions with the three main contenders, as well as KPCC president Sunny Joseph.

Muraleedharan had earlier said that the chief minister would not be decided merely based on the opinion of party MLAs. Instead, views of the UDF partners and the general public would also be taken into consideration, he said.

The Congress leaders from Kerala appeared to be divided on whether coalition partners should have a say in the CM selection.

Besides Muraleedharan, Sudheeran is also believed to be of the view that public sentiment should be taken into consideration before deciding the new chief minister.

Satheesan's camp also argued that if Venugopal is given the post, the UDF will have to face two by-elections -- one to elect him to the Assembly and another to elect a new MP for the Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat currently represented by Venugopal.

According to them, that would be highly risky under the prevailing political conditions in the state.

However, it is believed that the working presidents in Kerala belong to Venugopal's camp.

According to the Venugopal camp, he enjoys the support of most party MLAs and is a strategist capable of ensuring UDF’s victories in the by-elections.

His camp also claimed that Venugopal enjoys the support of most of the Congress MPs from Kerala.

The Chennithala camp, meanwhile, said that he is the senior-most leader who has always stood by the party and the Nehru-Gandhi family like a rock, even during difficult times.

Citing his experience, they pointed out that many leaders who worked with or under him during his tenure as national president of the NSUI and the Youth Congress went on to become chief ministers of other states or Union ministers.

Denying the senior leader an opportunity this time would be an injustice to him, they claimed.

The Congress has 63 MLAs in the 140-member Kerala Assembly. Its allies, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has 22, Kerala Congress (KEC) has eight, while the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) has three MLAs. PTI