Party is everything: Venugopal backs Congress high command decision

Congress leader K C Venugopal accepted the party’s decision to appoint V D Satheesan as Kerala Chief Minister and pledged full support to the new UDF government. He said party interests come first and dismissed concerns over internal divisions after the leadership choice

Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi: Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal on Thursday accepted the party decision to select V D Satheesan as the chief minister of Kerala and congratulated him.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Venugopal, who was one of the three persons being considered for the post, said he will provide all support to the CM and the UDF government in Kerala. He further said that he had right from the start made it clear that he would accept the Congress decision whatever it may be as the party is everything for him.

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“So, that is my stand now. I humbly accept the party high command decision and will work to implement it. I am a loyal Congressman. For me the party is everything. I don’t want an image at the cost of the party. I want to die shrouded in the party flag. Will give all support to the government in Kerala,” he said. He refused to answer queries whether he has been made any promises by the party for not being made the Kerala CM.

Venugopal also said that the party leadership took a decision based on several factors and after considering all aspects. He further said that he was not scared by any personal attacks on him by anyone.

He also asserted that there will be no issues in the party following the party high command decision. The Congress general secretary also declined to respond to queries whether there was any pressure from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on the CM issue. The party’s decision comes more than 10 days after the results of the April Assembly polls in Kerala were declared.

The Congress-led UDF secured a more than two-thirds majority in the Kerala Assembly elections, but the party has been unable to decide its chief ministerial face due to lobbying by different camps and protests by workers at the ground level. Besides, Satheesan and Venugopal, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala was also in the race for the CM post.