Ajay Maken, Mukul Wasnik 
Kerala

Kerala CM selection: Cong observers hold talks with UDF partners

Thiruvananthapuram | UDF partners, including the IUML and KEC, on Thursday met with the observers sent by the Congress high command to hold talks with party and front MLAs and leaders on who should be the next Kerala chief minister.

Following the meeting with the observers -- Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken -- Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader P K Kunhalikutty told reporters here that the party's stand on the issue was communicated to the Congress leaders.

"They patiently heard us and said they will report it to their high command in Delhi. We will wait for further communication from Delhi and when it comes, we will discuss the same in our party and will take a decision," Kunhalikutty, who won with a huge majority from the Malappuram assembly seat, said.

He was accompanied by party leaders P M A Salam and E T Mohammed Basheer.

Besides IUML, leaders of the Kerala Congress (KEC), Kerala Congress (Jacob) and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) also met with the observers.

After the meeting, RSP leader Shibu Baby John said that the political situation in Kerala, the UDF victory and all its aspects were discussed with the observers.

"We also told them that whosoever the Congress selects as the CM will be acceptable to us. We did not say anyone's name and we do not intend to interfere in the matter," he said.

He also said that they were not asked whom they prefer as CM and they did not suggest anyone's name either.

The observers, earlier in the day, held consultations with Congress MLAs here to seek their opinions on the selection of the next CM after the party-led UDF's victory in the Assembly elections.

Subsequently, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) passed a resolution authorising its high command to decide on the CM pick.

At present, senior Congress leaders VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal are being considered for the top post.

The UDF won 102 out of the 140 seats in the Assembly polls, while the LDF got 35 seats and three were taken by the BJP.

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