Thiruvananthapuram, 07 May (H.S.): The Congress leadership in Kerala will begin the formal process of selecting the next Chief Minister on Thursday with the first meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) scheduled to be held in Thiruvananthapuram.

The crucial meeting will take place at the KPCC headquarters at 10.30 a.m. in the presence of AICC-appointed observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken, who have been deputed by the Congress high command to oversee the leadership selection process following the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) victory in the Assembly elections.

Senior Congress leaders V. D. Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and K. C. Venugopal remain the leading contenders for the Chief Minister’s post.

According to party sources, the CLP meeting is expected to pass a one-line resolution authorising Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to take the final decision on the leadership issue. Following the meeting, the MLAs will individually meet the central observers and convey their opinions regarding the choice of Chief Minister.

Sources within the party said the Congress high command is unlikely to base its decision solely on the views expressed by MLAs. Instead, several factors including public perception, administrative experience, leadership capability, acceptability among coalition partners and the ability to provide stable governance will be taken into consideration before arriving at a final decision.

The observers are also expected to hold consultations with senior Congress leaders, including veteran leader A. K. Antony, before preparing their report for the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership in New Delhi.

Party insiders said efforts are being made to complete the consultation process by Thursday evening itself. Once the observers submit their report, the Congress high command is likely to summon Satheesan, Chennithala and Venugopal to Delhi for further discussions.

Apart from the observers’ assessment, the party leadership is also believed to be exploring other methods to gauge public sentiment before announcing its final choice. The Congress is expected to complete the leadership selection process and formally announce the next Chief Minister within the next few days.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman