New Delhi:
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s choice for the chief minister’s post in Kerala is KC Venugopal, the party MP from the state’s Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. The next two days would be spent on convincing party workers and leaders to support Venugopal for the top post, sources said.
Before Congress leaders officially met at party chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s place in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi met Venugopal separately, sources said. They said posters deriding Venugopal, who’s also the Congress’s general secretary (organisation), were put up allegedly with support from another influential party leader, VD Satheesan.
When Satheesan arrived at the meeting, Rahul Gandhi asked about the allegation against him, sources said, adding Satheesan admitted he is against Venugopal becoming the chief minister.
Satheesan’ argument was that Venugopal, being a Congress general secretary, exerted pressure on MLAs to create camps and groups, sources said. On his part, Satheesan pointed out he never worked to create groups for his own benefit and took everyone along when he served as Leader of Opposition in Kerala.
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