After days of intense deliberations and hectic lobbying behind doors and unprecedented sabre-rattling on the social media space and factional show of strength on the streets of Kerala, the Congress high command Thursday decided to align with perceived public sentiment and appoint V D Satheesan the next Chief Minister, overlooking AICC general secretary (Organisation) and Lok Sabha MP K C Venugopal who had the support of majority of the newly-elected MLAs.
“The Congress Legislature Party had met in Thiruvananthapuram on May 7 and had unanimously resolved to authorise the Congress president to appoint the new leader of the CLP in the state of Keralam. Accordingly, the Congress president has held extensive discussions with the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the AICC observers who had met with the newly elected MLAs…and many other leaders from the state, including MPs and former PCC presidents, were also consulted. Based on all these discussions, it has been decided that V D Satheesan be appointed as the leader of the CLP,” said AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Deepa Dasmunsi, along with central observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik and Congress communications head Jairam Ramesh at a press conference at the Congress headquarters in Delhi.