After the CLP meeting was concluded, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik and treasurer Ajay Maken met the MLAs individually after the CLP meeting concluded to understand their preference. They will send a report of their assessment to the party leadership to help it arrive at a decision.
Opposition leader VD Satheesan, one of the strongest contenders for the CM’s post, also met the MLAs at the party office and exchanged greetings.
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Wasnik said the meeting with MLAs went well. KPCC president Sunny Joseph moved the resolution and Satheesan seconded it authorizing the AICC president to decide on the new CLP leader.
The two AICC leaders also discussed the subject with Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, K Sudhakaran and VM Sudheeran before leaving for Delhi in the evening. They will expect to brief the AICC leadership on Friday and submit a report.
With the AICC’s opinion gathering exercise in Thiruvananthapuram over, the action has shifted to Delhi. Senior leaders including Pradesh Congress president Sunny Joseph, Satheesan, Chennithala and MPs will be in Delhi on Saturday to help the party leadership finalise a name. An announcement on the new CM is expected either Saturday or Sunday, the party sources said.Also Read | Kerala chief electoral officer submits list of elected MLAs to Guv
Chennithala and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal are also among the front runners for the post. Venugopal, a confidante of Rahul Gandhi, has been nursing his ambitions to be the CM. He represents Alappuzha in the Lok Sabha, while Satheesan and Chennithala won from Paravur and Haripad, respectively.
There were reports of some street demonstrations in parts of Kerala in favour of Satheesan, the name the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is also said to have suggested to the AICC observers.
