Kerala CM Decision Likely Within 24 Hours, Says Muraleedharan
Thiruvananthapuram: As lobbying activities intensify among the top three candidates for the Chief Minister’s post, senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan on Saturday said the party high command is likely to take a final decision on Kerala’s next CM within 24 hours.
UDF’s general Assembly poll victory in Kerala triggered a wave of lobbying and demonstrations by supporters of senior leaders VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and KC Venugopal, urging the Congress leadership to elect the respective leaders as the new CM.
“The information coming from Delhi is that talks regarding the prime ministerial candidate will be completed within 24 hours,” Muraleedharan told reporters. he said.
Acknowledging public enthusiasm, he emphasized that flexboards and marches alone would not determine leadership.
He added that the views of MLAs and coalition partners will also be taken into account by the Congress leadership.
“I will not make public what I said to representatives of the high command. I conveyed the feelings of my own constituents. The views expressed by the public were clearly conveyed to them.”
“The decision will come at the appropriate time. Seniority is not the only criterion when selecting the Prime Minister. The party has not always followed this criterion,” he said.
According to Muraleedharan, the opinion of the majority of MLAs and coalition partners is also vital as the Congress-led UDF is not a single-party government.
“Naturally, the opinions of the coalition partners also need to be taken into account. This is a coalition government.”
Muraleedharan’s remarks come at a time when public campaigns in support of Satheesan for the top post have intensified in various parts of the state following the Congress-led UDF’s massive victory in the Assembly elections.
Apart from widespread flex hoardings and posters in support of Satheesan, demonstrations and road demonstrations by party workers from various districts demanding his elevation as chief minister were also reported.
At the same time, flexible committees have emerged in many places backing senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala for the chief ministerial post, reflecting mounting pressure within different sections of the party ahead of the high command’s final decision.
Two Congress observers appointed by the party leadership to seek the views of the newly elected MPs submitted their report to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday and urged the high command to take a final call on the prime 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.
The leaders, including VD Satheesan, senior leader Ramesh Chennithala and KPCC president Sunny Joseph, reached Delhi on Friday night to meet party leaders over the government formation and leadership issue.
