KPCC president hopefuls look towards Rahul Gandhi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Several leaders are in the race to become the next KPCC president with the elevation of Mr Rahul Gandhi as Congress president on Saturday. They include present chief M.M. Hassan, K.V. Thomas, Mullapally Ramachandran, K. Muraleedharan, V. D. Satheesan  and K. Sudhakaran.  Mr Rahul Gandhi would like to have a PCC chief who can successfully lead the party  in the next  Lok Sabha elections in the state. Mr Hassan does not fit the bill.   Mr Mullapally may be made a member of the Congress Working Committee and AICC general secretary.

"Mullapally does not connect with the party cadres in the state.  K.V.  Thomas belongs to the Latin Catholic community and he  will balance the communal equations,"  said a  Congress MLA. A cross section of party leaders feels that though Mr K. Muraleedharan MLA would be a good choice as PCC chief, Mr Ramesh Chennithala is opposed to him.  Both are Nairs and hence a leader from another community has a chance," said a source.

The dark horse is KPCC vice-president V. D. Satheesan MLA, who was the general convener of Padayorukkam rally. But  Mr Satheesan also belongs to the Nair community.   "The best equation would be Thomas as KPCC president, Chennithala as opposition leader and Hassan as UDF convener. This would appease all the major communities except the Ezhava,"  said a senior Congress leader. Former Kannur MP K. Sudhakaran, an Ezhava,  is also trying to project himself as a  choice.