Congress, which returned to power in Kerala after 10 years, has now reached the final round of discussion regarding the name of the Chief Minister. According to sources, the Congress high command has almost approved the name of senior leader KC Venugopal. After several rounds of meetings held in Delhi and reports from observers, the party leadership can now make an official announcement soon.
The stir intensified after the high command meeting
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has registered a big victory in the Kerala Assembly elections. The alliance has returned to power by winning 102 out of 140 seats. After this, churning started within the party regarding the post of Chief Minister.
Opinion was taken from many senior leaders in the meetings held with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. According to sources, observers also gathered the opinion of the MLAs and after this the name of KC Venugopal emerged as the strongest contender.
Why is KC Venugopal considered strong?
KC Venugopal has been playing an important role in the Congress organization for a long time. He is currently the National General Secretary (Organization) of the party and is counted among the leaders close to Rahul Gandhi. Within the party, he is seen as a strategist and a leader who keeps the organization united.
Even during the election campaign, he played important responsibilities in Kerala, from ticket distribution to alliance management. A large section of Congress workers consider him the “chief architect” of UDF’s victory. This is the reason why posters and banners were also put up in his support.
Who were involved in the CM race?
The names of VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and Shashi Tharoor were also in discussion in the race for the post of Chief Minister. However, Venugopal seemed to be at the forefront in terms of internal equations of the party and hold on the organization.
At the same time, Shashi Tharoor’s name was definitely discussed among the public, but a unanimous opinion could not be formed regarding him within the party. In recent times, some of his statements and distance from party programs also weakened his candidature.
Caste and organizational equations are also important
Political analysts believe that this time Congress wanted a face who could run both the organization and the government in a balanced manner. KC Venugopal’s administrative experience, closeness to the central leadership and strong hold on Kerala politics worked in his favor.
However, the party is still discussing with allies, especially the Indian Union Muslim League, before the official announcement. IUML has clearly said that advice should be taken in the name of the Chief Minister.
Formal announcement may be made soon
According to sources, the high command can formally announce the name of the Chief Minister after the Congress Legislature Party meeting. If everything goes as per plan, KC Venugopal may soon take oath as the new Chief Minister of Kerala.
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