Congress high command puts Kerala CM race on ice, warns against public lobbying

New Delhi: The Congress central leadership on Saturday met senior Kerala leaders and asserted that the decision on the party's chief ministerial face would be taken "in due course", while making it clear that the street demonstrations and public lobbying seen in the state were "against Congress culture" and must stop immediately.

The meeting was attended by the three main chief ministerial contenders - K C Venugopal, V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala.

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Sources said the high command conveyed that street mobilisations and social media campaigns would not influence the final decision, which would be taken according to the party's established institutional process. The leadership reportedly asked supporters to immediately stop public displays backing individual leaders.

After the meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary in-charge Deepa Dasmunsi reiterated that the party leadership would decide the matter at the appropriate time.

Satheesan, whose supporters had reportedly staged demonstrations demanding he be made chief minister, appealed on television for Congress workers to end the protests and respect the people's mandate.

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Venugopal and Chennithala also urged party workers to remain united and refrain from public shows either supporting or opposing any of the contenders. Kerala PCC chief Sunny Joseph said all leaders and workers should respect the final decision of the high command.

The meeting came two days after AICC observers held consultations with newly elected Congress MLAs in Kerala. Sources said 47 of the party's 63 MLAs had backed Venugopal for the chief minister's post. The feedback was among the factors discussed by the leadership on Saturday.