Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 13 (ANI): Senior Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily on Tuesday dismissed the BJP’s claims of infighting within the party over government formation in Keralam, asserting that the Congress does not “impose candidates” on the people.
Amid suspense over the Kerala Chief Minister, Moily further emphasised that the party follows a ‘proper consultation process’ while selecting candidates for important political positions.
“Where is the infighting? The government has not yet been formed, so where is the question of infighting? Unlike the BJP, we do not simply impose candidates; we follow a proper consultation process. This is the procedure we take…” Moily told ANI.
Moily’s remarks came after BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took a jibe at the Congress party, which he said seemed to have a plan “to give five Chief Ministers to the State in five years.”
Poonawalla, speaking to ANI, highlighted that Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra seems to be pushing forward the name of VD Satheesan, the MLA from Paravur Assembly constituency, while Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is naming KC Venugopal, currently a Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha.
“In Keralam, the Congress has got a full majority. Even after so many days, the Congress party has not been able to decide who will be the Chief Minister. It is being said that under pressure from the Jamaat, Priyanka Vadra is pushing forward the name of VD Satheesan, while Rahul Gandhi is pushing forward the name of KC Venugopal. Some people are bringing forward Ramesh Chennithala. Some people want to make Shashi Tharoor the Chief Minister. It seems the Congress party has made a plan to give five Chief Ministers in five years,” he said.
In another dig at Congress, Poonawalla said that the party will usher in a “model of instability” in Keralam, as it did in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and previously in Punjab and Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, the meeting to elect the next Keralam Chief Minister, with Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and former Keralam Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs, was held on Tuesday.
Keralam Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, and senior party leader Ramesh Chennithala are seen among the top contenders for the Chief Minister post.
Former KPCC presidents Mullappally Ramachandran, MM Hassan, K Sudhakaran, VM Sudheeran, K Muraleedharan, A P Anilkumar, PC Vishnunath and Shafi Parambil have arrived in New Delhi to meet Congress top leadership to finalise the next CM of the state. (ANI)