Making the choice of Kerala’s next Chief Minister more difficult for the Congress high command, hundreds of party cadres poured into the streets across the state on Friday backing Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan.
A section of workers, displeased with Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal also being in the race despite not playing an active role in state politics, stated they would accept no one except Satheesan as CM and cautioned the party leadership against “airdropping” any other leader into the position. Those opposing Venugopal, who is believed to enjoy the backing of an “overwhelming” majority of the Congress’s 63 MLAs, his detractors in the party note that Venugopal is not an MLA and the party’s central leadership had, ahead of the polls, chosen not to field MPs in the elections.
Across Kerala, from the state capital to various districts of the state, Congress workers flooded the streets carrying placards of Satheesan and the slogan, “Let the commander who fought the battle rule the state.”
The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the now dissolved Assembly, Satheesan guided the United Democratic Front (UDF) as it challenged the CPI(M) and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the past five years. In addition, Satheesan also criticised the communal comments of prominent Hindu leader Vellappally Natesan, who heads the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, while other senior Congress leaders stayed silent. This helped the Congress secure the “secular votes”, party insiders believe. Before the elections, Satheesan announced that he would step away from politics if the UDF failed to secure 100 seats. The Congress-led alliance eventually won 102 in the 140-member House.
Workers and grassroots leaders on Friday gathered on the streets hours after Satheesan appealed to them to avoid processions and the custom of putting up flex boards for leaders. “These are moments of joy and honour for us. In such a circumstance, neither the leaders nor the workers should do anything that would create problems for the party or the alliance,’’ the Congress leader said in a message on his Facebook page.
In Malappuram, Congress workers were seen marching and chanting loudly, “We will recognise only VD as the Chief Minister. We voted for VD. Secular Kerala stands with VD.” In Irikkur, Kannur, which is a Congress stronghold, party workers came out against the attempt to install Venugopal as the CM, as there had been reports that sitting Congress MLA Sajeev Joseph would resign and clear the way for Venugopal to contest from the seat after becoming the CM. Joseph had not rejected the reports.
Congress workers staged the protests in Satheesan’s favour, defying the state leadership that warned they would face disciplinary action for doing so. After state Congress president Sunny Joseph said party district committees were authorised to act against workers and leaders who conduct public marches, the District Congress Committee in Idukki suspended three leaders who participated in a pro-Satheesan rally. However, Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose came out against the suspensions, saying, “The feelings of workers should be valued, where they will express their opinions. They had laboured for the party’s victory. Disciplinary action is not the solution.”
Former Congress state president and newly elected MLA K Muraleedharan said, “I believe that those who labour should receive the reward. Flex boards will not choose the leaders. There is a procedure. The current matter is about a generational transition. That will be resolved,” he said.
On Thursday, Congress workers also organised a march in Satheesan’s favour in Iritty in the Peravoor constituency represented by Sunny Joseph.
The CPM example
In Kerala, Congress workers seldom take to the streets for a leader. In this case, it is even more significant because Satheesan does not enjoy the backing of any one faction. The workers are rallying for Satheesan at a time when he lacks the support of MLAs in the contest for the CM post, where numbers are crucial in the game.
This situation recalls what the CPI(M) in Kerala experienced on the eve of the Assembly elections of 2006. Then, the CPI(M) state leadership under Pinarayi Vijayan had refused a ticket to V S Achuthanandan to contest the polls. The move came after Achuthanandan spent five years as Opposition leader, confronting the Congress government.
CPI(M) workers poured into the streets against the party leadership. Realising the mood was turning against it, the CPI(M) central leadership stepped in to secure the candidature of Achuthanandan, who guided the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to a sweeping victory as it captured 99 seats.