Thiruvanthapuram: Congress party is now poised to complete their much-awaited deliberation as Congress Legislature Party (CLP) convenes in its headquarters, Indira Bhavan, to officially appoint its leader for the coming Assembly session after its victory at the polls in the southern state. The Thursday afternoon session will mark the end of a week of heated deliberations, leading to the appointment of a new Chief Minister of Kerala by the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF).
While other nearby states such as Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, where the simultaneous elections took place, have been able to inaugurate their newly elected leadership, the Indian state of Kerala still lingers in uncertainty. It has been ten days since the declaration of results on May 4; the Congress “High Command” in New Delhi has had to battle fierce internal rivalry among the factions.
The Candidates and the Standoff
The reason for the delay is the three-way struggle over who will lead the UDF government, spearheaded by the Congress Party:
V.D. Satheesan: The sitting Leader of Opposition, who was instrumental in steering the resurgent campaign.
K.C. Venugopal: The AICC General Secretary (Organisation), who has reportedly enjoyed wide backing among the newly elected 63 Congress MLAs.
Ramesh Chennithala: The warhorse with vast experience as a Home Minister and a seasoned hand in the party’s organizational apparatus.
It appears that V.D. Satheesan has been holding his ground, demanding the Chief Ministership as his right as the leader of the past three years. On the other hand, the Congress party leadership, with figures like Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, spent hours in a series of meetings in New Delhi to ensure “no discordant notes” arise from the process.
Pressure to Perform
The extended period of uncertainty regarding the appointment of the new leader in the Cliff House has attracted strong condemnation from the opposition party. The BJP called the delay the mark of “congenital indecision,” and the outgoing LDF referred to the period of administrative vacuum.
With the CLP meeting being convened today, it would be interesting to see how the Congress party performs. With the leader finally elected this evening, a delegation can visit the Governor’s house to stake its claim to form the government.
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