How did Satheesan emerge as the choice of Kerala Chief Minister?
Rahul Gandhi After meeting former KPCC chiefs and senior leaders on Tuesday afternoon, a significant contingent of party alumni met him at 10, Janpath late at 10 pm. VM Sudheeran, a well-known voice in favor of VD Satheesan, was the last person who is understood to have been heard by the Gandhi family during the detailed deliberations to arrive at the CM selection.Hours later on Wednesday, Sudheeran publicly stressed the need to decide the CM in line with “public sentiments”. A few hours further down, Rahul had his final consultation Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge finalized the decision, although it was kept secret.Sources said KC Venugopal lost in the final stage. The Kharge-Rahul chat ousted the powerful AICC manager and Rahul confidant. And barely any time had passed before even he realized the disappointing turn of events – the first but fatal blow after Venugopal entered the race after maximum MLAs supported him in front of AICC observers on May 7.
But his removal does not necessarily seal the deal that can be struck down. Here, Ramesh Chennithala, always the “compromising” pole of the three-way race, remained a possibility. All eyes were on Thursday morning when the decision was to be made public.At 10 am, Rahul called Venugopal for talks at his residence in Sunehri Bagh and they locked horns for over an hour, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. There, the confessor was clearly informed about the “decision-making process” – a shorthand for the factors that resulted in Satheesan being selected before him.However, the deal was still limited to the Enchanted Realm. Even the party managers who went to Kerala did not know whether it would be Satheesan or Chennithala.Half an hour later, Kharge called a meeting of AICC state in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi and state observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik. There, the final plan was unveiled and passed for public dissemination.Venugopal is out. But this was a direct leap into the generational change of state leadership. There will be no middle, “compromise” candidate in Chennithala. Apparently calls came in to calm the veteran down.Half an hour later, a press conference was scheduled for 12 noon. And there, Maken, Dasmunshi, Wasnik and Jairam Ramesh declared that it was Satisan.“Public sentiment” became the battle cry of the pro-Sateesan partisans and the common people brigade as lobbying for the chief minister’s post continued on the streets and social media for nine days. The same argument was also made by allies IUML, RSP and Kerala Congress, who questioned the sole reliance on the support of MLAs. Rahul and Priyanka were flooded with emails, which also included mention of Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, where IUML has a strong votebase. Satheesan’s all-round pace cannot be ignored.And when Rahul, instead of closing the deliberations, decided to pick the brains of more state colleagues, Satheesan was clearly in serious thought. Pressure from Sudheeran, K Muraleedharan and, according to some insiders, veterans AK Antony and Priyanka changed the situation.