New Delhi:
Congress’s VD Satheesan, aspirant for the top job in Kerala, has hardened his stance, sources close to him said, making it clear that he is not ready to accept any other post. And the top job for his is not exactly what the party’s central leadership has in mind.
The impasse, which has been on for a week, is reminiscent of the situation in Karnataka, where the top post became a bone of contention between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, leading the way to unending friction between the two and their supporters.
Sources have said the Congress Central leadership envisions Satheesan playing the role of a key minister within a government led by KC Venugopal, who is the choice of Rahul Gandhi as well as the state’s legislators. Ramesh Chennithala – another aspirant for the Chief Minister post — could potentially be appointed as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
But Satheesan – who is the choice of the people as well as the Congress’s Keral ally and UDF constituent IUML — is not ready to accept a secondary role.
This has placed the Congress in a bind. Neither is it easy to disregard the majority opinion within the legislative party, nor to overlook the views of allies. Sources said to help solve the impasse, Rahul Gandhi has now convened a meeting tomorrow with former presidents and working presidents of the Kerala Congress.
Sources said the party high command is already displeased with the pressure tactics being employed by Satheesan and Chennithala.
While posters and cutouts of Venugopal has been adorning the party offices in Thiruvananthapuram, Satheesan’s loyalists have been holding protests and demonstrations, hoping for a show of strength the central leaders cannot ignore.
With the power tussle still on in Karnataka, the party leadership is also aware of the potential damage that could result from the disgruntlement of Satheesan, who has been leading the battle against the Left in the state.Besides, if Venugopal is appointed Chief Minister, he will be required to contest an assembly by-election; concurrently, a by-election would also have to be held for his Lok Sabha seat, increasing the headache for the party which has just put a huge round of elections behind it.
As of now, the only certainty is that resolving the Kerala conundrum will take more time – which the Congress can ill afford, with Chief ministers in two key states that went to poll in this round having already taken oath.
A Congress leader, on condition of anonymity said the decision is significant and deliberating on all its aspects will take time. He was positive that a delay will cause no harm. The tenure of the Kerala assembly is till May 23, which allows the Congress to find a way out of the dilemma.