THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With 16 months to go for the next assembly elections, new equations are shaping up in the Kerala State Congress. Congress leaders including VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala are making moves to secure the chief ministership in the firm belief that the UDF will come to power after the elections. The political debate is about who among them will be successful in the strategies to consolidate religious and communal support.

Chennithala's name has been revived in the chief ministerial candidate debates after a decade-long hiatus with the NSS-led resentment towards him settled. NSS General Secretary G Sukumaran Nair had invited him to the Mannam Jayanti celebrations. SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellapply Nateshan had praised Ramesh as the most qualified from the Congress to be the Chief Minister. The campaign is happening like the moral support of NSS and SNDP Yogam has been secured. The move to secure Muslim and Christian support is also active.

At the same time, there is no doubt that Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan would be one of the natural candidates for the post of Chief Minister if the UDF comes to power. Satheesan had succeeded in gaining the support of the Congress youth from all factions as an indication to this. Some of the managers of the old 'A' group are also loyal to Satheesan.

However, many of the senior leaders of the 'I' group are uncomfortable. Their complaint is that many things, including the selection of candidates, are being restricted without consulting them and decisions are being taken unilaterally. They are trying to activate the larger 'I' group and fight alleging that Satheesan is trying to control the organization as well as the party legislation.

Chennithala, K Muralidharan and Shashi Tharoor came forward with the claim that there was no discussion regarding the removal of K Sudhakaran from the post of KPCC president. K Sudhakaran's response that Chennithala is fully qualified to be the Chief Minister is also noteworthy.

Satheesan to rise to the occasion

VD Satheesan, who is friendly with the Muslim League leadership, is trying to establish good relations with various Christian churches. Satheesan got an invitation to Maramon Convention also. At the same time, Satheesan is facing a setback with his old statement that he is not ready to visit the community leaders for votes. He feels that this may be the reason for the resentment of the NSS and SNDP Yogam leadership towards him. The attempt is to change this. Satheesan's response that the NSS is an organization that opposes communalism and that Vellappally's criticism against him is taken in its proper sense are all part of this.