Kerala: It had taken nine days after the Kerala assembly election results before the Congress was able to resolve its internal impasse. However, the solution did not come from the usual marathon sessions in Delhi. Rather, it was due to the intervention of the Congress’ former party chief, Sonia Gandhi, and her closest advisor, AK Antony.
Three candidates, no solution
The problem started after the three frontrunners for the position of Kerala Chief Minister refused to give way. Even after attempts to hold one-on-one meetings with the Congress MLAs in Thiruvananthapuram, as well as consultations in Delhi with Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the impasse remained “stuck.”
In a difficult situation, the leadership of the party sought the help of Sonia Gandhi, who chairs the INDIA alliance, in resolving the issue.
Sonia Gandhi’s choice: Why she chose AK Antony over others
Sonia Gandhi turned to AK Antony, the man who was as close to “10 Janpath” as he was renowned for his impeccable honesty. As the three-time chief minister of Kerala, Antony is unique in his political career in India. He was a rare political leader in Delhi who stepped down from power voluntarily in 2004 due to his moral obligation for losing elections and finally retired from politics to Kerala with just one bag in hand.
According to sources, Sonia Gandhi chose Antony because of his deep knowledge of the Kerala “soil,” as well as his lack of personal ambition, which made him present a solution free of any bias.
‘Antony Formula’: Avoiding by-elections and respecting the mandate
It appears that the crucial moment came when Sonia Gandhi held a conversation with AK Antony, her old colleague. According to the sources, Antony gave two reasons for suggesting his plan:
The by-election dilemma: Antony was of the opinion that KC Venugopal must not be chosen as the new CM of the state because this move will cause two by-elections: one in a Kerala legislative assembly seat and the other in the parliament seat. Considering the fact that a general election had already been held recently, Antony felt that the result of the two by-elections would be very unpredictable, and hence, the party should not take this risk.
The allied agreement: Antony also brought up the fact that the general public and the allies in the UDF (United Democratic Front) also wanted VD Satheesan to lead the state. The imposition of a “Delhi candidate” over the popular favorite will only give out the wrong message to the masses, he said.
The final decision: Satheesan as CM, Venugopal to continue serving Delhi
As per these suggestions, Sonia Gandhi made her final decision in this matter. In a synchronized effort, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi approached KC Venugopal, asking him to stay in Delhi and carry on his national duties.
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