THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state Congress leaders are keeping their fingers crossed as they expect the
All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership to announce the new president of
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) this week.
AICC president
Rahul Gandhi has begun discussions in this regard in New Delhi.
“The announcement can be expected any day. The AICC leadership has begun discussions and are also speaking to state leaders. AICC
general secretary Mukul Wasnik has submitted the names proposed by the state leaders to the AICC president,’’ said a prominent ‘A’ group leader.
As KPCC president in
Karnataka has already been appointed, the leaders in Kerala have been anticipating that a new president for the state would be announced this week itself. Though they have submitted their lists, the state leaders are worried whether the AICC leadership would zero in on someone not named by them.
“We have informed A K Antony of our choice. We hope the AICC president would choose the president only after holding discussions with Antony. Hence, Antony has been briefed about the kind of leadership the party needs especially in the wake of the ensuing
Lok Sabha elections,” said a senior ‘I’ group leader.
Both the ‘I’ and ‘A’ groups have decided to support Mullappally Ramachandran’s name for the president if the high command insists on him. But the state leaders believe if Mullappally’s name is proposed then there should also be a ‘working president’ for the party.
K Sudhkaran and V D Satheesan’s names are being proposed for the working president by the ‘I’ group.
However, the ‘A’ group wants Benny Behannan to be appointed as working president.