Mumbai: It took one week, from May 7 to May 14, for the Congress High Command to admit that numerical backing of MLAs can no longer be the sole criterion for electing CMs. A precedent has been set in Kerala as Congress has decided to factor in popular sentiment as a decisive factor.
The race for electing Kerala’s next CM began as a cake-walk for KC Venugopal, MP and AICC General Secretary, on May 7. That day Congress observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken found over 70% of the 63 newly elected party MLAs preferred Venugopal. A majority of Congress MPs and a bunch of its senior leaders from the state favoured him. Then began the slug-fest as Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly and MLA-elect VD Satheesan came out with his guns blazing.
He questioned AICC for allowing a backdoor entry by Venugopal. Indirectly, the question was whether the AICC was willing to make an exception in this case, going against its own diktat that sitting MPs should not fight Assembly polls.
He also pointed out he was busy building Team UDF, as he never believed in nurturing a group within the party.
At the ground level, the people of Kerala took up cudgels for Satheesan, mostly through the social media. Initially, the High Command opted not to give this much weightage. It was no different when senior UDF partner Muslim League as also other UDF allies made clear their preference for Satheesan, claiming they were mirroring public sentiment. The High Command continued to drag its feet over embracing the popular sentiment, perhaps reflecting their inability to feel the public pulse.
After days of deliberations, this perception began to shift late last night with things coming a full circle on May 14. The last minute recalibration of equations culminated in Rahul Gandhi’s lengthy meeting to placate Venugopal. Among issues flagged would have been public furore over unwarranted by-elections, potential outcome thereof and posters for the first time warning Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra about repeating Amethi in Wayanad.
Assurances from the Venugopal camp that all this was PR work did not wash as Congress veterans A K Antony and V M Sudheeran weighed in with their take on the prevailing anger among voters over the political adjustments being made to accommodate one person.
Reason prevailed and Satheesan was named the CM-elect despite with no significant MLA support. At last an admission of the supremacy of public sentiment over political muscle.
Now, the question that emerges loud and clear is why Rahul Gandhi keeps flirting with decisions that clearly strike discord people’s sentiment. Make no mistake, the decision to name Satheesan over his confidante Venugopal did not come organically.
Meanwhile, it cannot be denied that the seeds of division have been sown in the Congress Legislature Party with the long-drawn race for the top post. Veteran leader Ramesh Chennithala, who hoped to be named a compromise choice has already voiced dissent. A few supporters of Venugopal have started voicing their protest. Satheesan has his task cut out.
Perhaps much of these self-inflicted wounds could have been avoided. However, it is a moot point if the LDF has been fully left off the hook by the public, as time that could have been spent scrutinising the CPM’s mighty fall has been subverted by the Congress infighting. Surely, the public memory of what transpired in the last 10 days would be swamped by their perceived setbacks spread over 10 long years.
(The author is a senior journalist. His views are personal)
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