Group leaders back KPCC president hopefuls

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Chengannur debacle has sealed the fate of KPCC president M.M. Hassan who was hoping to continue in his post. A search is already on to find an acceptable leader to be made the KPCC chief. Those in the race include  Mr Benny Behanan and Mr Mullapally Ramachandran MP, the trusted lieutenants of former chief minister Oommen Chandy,   and  Mr K. Sudhakaran and Mr V. D. Satheesan backed by Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala.

The names of  the new KPCC president and Rajya Sabha MP would be finalised during  talks between the state and AICC leaders  next week.  The Congress allies in the state will have to agree on a new  UDF convener. “Chandy is batting for Benny Behanan, 65,  or  Mullapally, 73, who is not attached to any group here. If Benny Behanan is not chosen, Chandy would want him to be chosen for the  Rajya Sabha seat,” said a leader close to  Mr Chandy. After  Mr Behanan was denied a seat in the 2016 Assembly elections, Mr  Chandy had brought him   to the Political Affairs Committee.

However,  Mr Sudha-karan and Mr Sathee-san are also in the PAC. But since Mr Satheesan belongs to the Nair community like Mr  Chennithala, Mr Rahul Gandhi may not opt for him  to maintain caste equations. But Mr  Satheesan, 54, is comparatively young which is a plus point for him.    Mr Mullapally and Mr Sudhakaran belong to the Ezhava community. Mr  K. Muraleedharan MLA  said on Saturday that he was not willing  to forego his Vattiyo-orkavu Assem-bly seat for  any posts till  the next elections.  Youth leaders have opposed the moves of   Mr  P. J. Kurien to secure  a  Rajya Sabha seat for the  third time.   The other hopefuls for the PCC chief post  include AICC general secretary in-charge of New Delhi, P. C. Chacko,  and the lone woman leader in the PAC, Shanimol Usman.