Kerala: Satheesan & Chennithala emerge strong contenders for CM post

Bengaluru: The Congress is expected to choose between Opposition leader VD Satheesan and veteran leader Ramesh Chennithala for the CM’s post in Kerala. The party sources, however, don’t rule out the possibility of a third face emerging in the event of a sharp difference of opinion between the two or among senior leaders.

They also see a possibility of AICC general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal returning to the state politics as he is also said to be nursing his ambitions to be the CM.

Satheesan (61), won from Paravur, and put up the most spirited show in the run up to the elections, and mounted a serious campaign against the LDF, accusing it of striking a secret deal with the BJP. He had also announced he would go into political exile if the UDF lost in the election. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is also said to be backing him for the CM’s post.



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Chennithala, the Opposition leader during Pinarayi Vijayan’s first stint as CM, is also a frontrunner for the coveted post. He won for a sixth time from Haripad after winning Lok Sabha polls four times before. The partymen count him as a serious contender, considering his contribution to the party’s growth over the years.

Sources say Venugopal ensured that MPs were not allowed to contest the assembly polls so that the number of claimants to the CM’s post won’t increase post the UDF win. That will also make his own path smooth if a situation arises. The 63-year-old leader, who represents Alappuzha in the Lok Sabha, is also a close confidante of Rahul Gandhi, and commands his own set of loyalists in the Congress in Kerala.


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Meanwhile, informal talks have been going on within the Congress and its partner IUML on the portfolios they must share. The Congress, which has won 63 seats, may seek a realignment of portfolios compared to the UDF regime under Oommen Chandy. The Congress may seek some heavier portfolios including education, industries/IT, home and finance.