‘Let the man who led the battle lead Kerala’: Congress workers rally for Satheesan in Peravoor

Kannur: Even as the Congress high command began consultations in Thiruvananthapuram on choosing Kerala’s next chief minister, the succession battle spilled onto the streets on Thursday, with Congress workers in north Kerala openly rallying behind V D Satheesan.

The day began with a message circulating in Congress WhatsApp groups in the name of Peravoor Congress workers, asking supporters to assemble near the old bus stand in Iritty by afternoon to demand that the party leadership make Satheesan the next chief minister.

By 5 pm, around 50 workers had gathered at the old bus stand before marching through the town in the Peravoor Assembly constituency, raising slogans such as “Let the man who led the battle lead Kerala” and “V D Satheesan should be made chief minister.”

The demonstrators carried placards bearing photographs of the late Oommen Chandy and Satheesan, who led the UDF campaign as leader of the opposition in the previous Assembly. Similar placards and slogans backing Satheesan had surfaced earlier in Mattannur during UDF victory celebrations on Wednesday, suggesting that the campaign was beginning to spread across Congress pockets in Kannur.

The march assumed political significance as it was held in the home constituency of Congress state president Sunny Joseph, the MLA-elect from Peravoor.

Some workers privately said the venue was chosen deliberately because they suspected Sunny Joseph was backing K C Venugopal for the top post. However, the demonstration remained focused entirely on backing Satheesan, with no slogans raised against Joseph, Venugopal or any other leader. Venugopal, the Lok Sabha member from Alappuzha, is the Congress's national general secretary for organisation and part of the high command.

One demonstrator who had travelled from Kuthuparamba said workers were forced to come out because there was an attempt to sideline “the prince of stances”. “This is only the beginning. Similar demonstrations will happen across Kerala from tomorrow,” he said. “We held this protest in the KPCC president’s home constituency because he should carry this message to the high command.”

The protest came even as Ajay Maken, Mukul Wasnik and Deepa Dasmunsi met Congress MLAs and MPs at Indira Bhavan to gather their views on the next CM.

The chief ministerial race has largely narrowed to Satheesan, former Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, elected from Haripad, and Venugopal. But with the Congress having barred sitting MPs from contesting the Assembly polls to avoid by-elections, several UDF allies -- including the Indian Union Muslim League and Kerala Congress -- are learnt to have told AICC observers that they would prefer an MLA-elect as chief minister, an indirect boost for Satheesan.

A veteran grassroots Congress leader and Iritty block panchayat member said the public mood was overwhelmingly in Satheesan’s favour. “When I reach town, people come to me asking for reassurance. They ask, isn’t VD going to be the next chief minister? There is genuine anxiety among ordinary supporters.”

He said he conveyed the message to Sunny Joseph because there were other contenders in the fray for the chief minister’s post. “I recently travelled with Sunny Joseph and told him about the public sentiment in favour of VD Satheesan. I did not ask what was on his mind because I understand the limitations of his position as KPCC president,” he said.

Though no front-line leaders joined the march, several workers said the demonstration had quiet backing from sections within the party. Organisers said similar demonstrations would be held from Thursday in other parts of Kerala, including Pazhayangadi in Kannur.