Kozhikode: The assembly election in Kerala is not due until 2026, but Congress' Member of Parliament M K Raghavan has said his senior party colleague Ramesh Chennithala is the most qualified leader to become the next chief minister.
Raghavan put forward Chennithala's name for the No. 1 seat during the release of the latter's biography, 'Ramesh Chennithala – Arinjathum Ariyathathum' (-- the known and unknown), in Kozhikode on Wednesday.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has been out of power since 2016. Kerala is now governed by the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Pinarayi Vijayan has been the chief minister for the last seven years.
But Raghavan believes that with some good fortune, Chennithala could be the CM, should the UDF return to power. “Chennithala, who has worked his way up, from the students wing to the youth wing, is the most qualified leader to take the title of the chief minister,” Raghavan said.
In his view, Chennithala is the only leader who has maintained good relations with other state leaders. He also reminded that all of Chennithala's contemporaries in national politics have become chief ministers.
Chennithala has been in prominent positions in state politics, having become a minister at the age of 28. Besides being a former parliamentarian, he was the Leader of the Opposition after the 2016 polls and handled Home Affairs during Oommen Chandy's tenure. He also led the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee.
The current Leader of Opposition in V D Satheesan and the chief of the Congress party in Kerala is K Sudhakaran. The last UDF chief minister in Kerala, Oommen Chandy is no more while his predecessor, A K Antony, who was the CM almost two decades ago, is not active in politics.
Raghavan wasn't the only Congress leader to propose Chennithala for the CM post. Kozhikode District Congress Committee's president K Praveen Kumar seconded his MP's view. Meanwhile, Chennithala had a modest view of things. “.. titles and positions will come and go. I wish for the love and care of the people of Kerala,” he said.
Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal, president of Congress' ally, Indian Union Muslim League, released the book, authored by C P Rajasekharan, by handing over a copy to Raghavan.
