District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents who held talks with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on the organisation elections in Kerala strongly backed the consensus route for the selection of a new KPCC president.
The 14 DCC presidents virtually toed the line of senior leaders who have been pushing for the consensus route in the party revamp in the State. The meeting was the third such exercise that Mr. Gandhi has undertaken in his search for a non-disruptive selection process that would retain the status quo in factional equation, while at the same time usher in the next generation leadership in the State loyal to him when he does takes over as party president at the end of the current organisation elections expected to be completed nationwide by October 31.
Mr. Gandhi held discussions with Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and former KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran and the current incumbent M.M. Hassan. He has also been meeting party legislators and Parliament members on a one-to-one basis to elicit their views.
The consensus route became almost certain when Mr. Chandy softened his stand subsequent to the resignation of Mr. Sudheeran as KPCC president. None of the Congress leaders in the State want the organisation election to turn into a messy competitive affair that might tilt the existing equations.
Besides, the move for a consensus is based on the acceptance of the predominance of factional politics in the State. A consensus would set a conducive atmosphere for the legislature wing and the party to function in tandem to face the political challenge it faces.
