Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday jibed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that he appears to have ‘memory loss’ after the BJP leadership took nearly 50 days to announce the chief minister in Delhi but is now criticising the Congress over the delay in selecting Kerala’s next CM.He reminded the Prime Minister that the BJP itself had delayed its decision in Delhi and said the Congress follows a democratic process unlike an ‘authoritarian’ setup.Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Chennithala said, “PM Modi should remember that it took him 50 days to announce the Chief Minister in Delhi. Only now have I realised that the Prime Minister seems to have memory loss. The same Prime Minister who created uncertainty in Delhi by not announcing the Chief Minister for 50 days is now criticising the Congress. The Prime Minister should not forget the past.”He further defended the Congress’s consultation process and said decisions in the party are taken democratically after discussions with leaders and MLAs.“The Indian National Congress is a democratic party, not an authoritarian one. That is why the high command said it would hold discussions with all of us and take a democratic decision. At their party, the situation is such that if PM Modi and Amit Shah decide something, that becomes everything. Our party is not like that,” he said.Providing an update on the Kerala chief minister selection, Chennithala said the Congress high command has already held extensive consultations with party leaders and legislators and a final decision would be announced soon.“Observers came to Kerala and heard the opinions of all the MLAs. Discussions were held with Sunny Joseph, VD Satheesan, KC Venugopal, me and others. Now, we are waiting for the high command’s decision. A decision will be made as soon as possible,” he added.The remarks come days after the Congress-led UDF secured a major victory in the Kerala assembly elections, ending the Left Democratic Front’s rule in the state. However, the party is yet to announce its chief ministerial face, with senior leaders VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and KC Venugopal emerging as the main contenders.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi have been holding consultations with Kerala leaders in Delhi, while the party high command is attempting to evolve a consensus to avoid factional tensions within the state unit.
