The tug-of-war within the Congress over the Chief Minister’s post has spilled onto the streets, with supporters of VD Satheesan staging protests across Kerala demanding that he be appointed the state’s next Chief Minister.
File Photo: IANS
The tug-of-war within the Congress over the Chief Minister’s post has spilled onto the streets, with supporters of VD Satheesan staging protests across Kerala demanding that he be appointed the state’s next Chief Minister.
Demonstrations were held on Thursday and Friday, with protesters raising slogans such as, “Let the man who led the battle lead the state,” highlighting Satheesan’s role in the election campaign. Street protests were reported from Nettoor in Kochi, as well as various parts of Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur, Alappuzha, and Thiruvananthapuram.
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Congress workers argued that Satheesan, as the Leader of the Opposition who steered the UDF’s comeback, is the most deserving candidate for the Chief Minister’s post.
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Satheesan’s supporters also installed flex boards and posters backing him in several parts of the state. In Alappuzha, posters targeting K.C. Venugopal appeared near the YMCA and Mattancherry bridges, warning against any move that would “impose a by-election.”
During demonstrations in Thiruvananthapuram, pro-Satheesan groups allegedly tore down posters and flex boards of K.C. Venugopal, another leading contender for the Chief Minister’s post. In Kottayam, a Congress worker allegedly attempted self-immolation demanding Satheesan’s appointment as Chief Minister.
As the power struggle over the Chief Minister’s post intensified on the streets, V.D. Satheesan on Friday issued a public appeal through Facebook urging party workers and supporters not to hold demonstrations or install flex boards in his support.
Satheesan said that while the victory — securing 102 seats — was a matter of pride, party workers should refrain from activities that could embarrass the party or the alliance.
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