New party chief after Jan 9, Kerala Cong split in opinion

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 6: Lobbying has begum inside the

Pradesh

Committee as the chief minister

and the new Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala are set to meet the party high command in Delhi to decide the new KPCC president.

Former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala said that his successor for the KPCC president post will be announced by the Congress high command after Jan 9. The party high command has called Chief minister Oommen Chandy and Chennithala to New Delhi to finalize the new KPCC president.

While Chennithala and Chandy are learnt to be supporting speaker G Karthikeyan as the new president of the party's state unit, strong lobbying has started from within the state Congress to choose V M Sudheeran as the new KPCC president, said a Times of India report. Meanwhile, the 'I' group is learnt to be supporting K Sudhakaran for the post as he has expressed willingness to be a part of the party's state unit.

The Congress leadership has sought the help of Union defence minister A K Antony in the matter.

Sources said Karthikeyan is ready to accept the post of KPCC president as it would be a major achievement for him to head the party's state unit , particularly at a time when the Lok Sabha polls are approaching.

The party vice-president Rahul Gandhi is much closer to V M Sudheeran. But Chandy and Chennithala are said to be against the candidature of Sudheeran as the latter has often differed with the UDF government in many issues like Aranmula Airport matter.

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