Kurien unlikely to get RS nomination

New Delhi: Current deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha PJ Kurien is unlikely to get Congress nomination for the Rajya Sabha seat in Kerala.

This is not only due to the fierce opposition to his nomination from the camp of Congress's youth leaders from Kerala, or the tussle for the seat that followed the controversy. The Congress is in the process of a string pulling to put up a consensus candidate of all Opposition parties, thereby reinforcing the anti-BJP unity among the Opposition. In the case of PJ Kurien, Congress leaders have an ill-concealed observation that Kurien had sat in the post of deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha and showed pro-BJP leniency.

On his part, Kurien has been floating the argument that once he gets elected as RS member, he would get the tacit consent of the BJP to become deputy chairman again which would thus get the post for the Congress party. But in the meanwhile, Congress has been exploring the possibility of giving that candidature to the BJD of Odisha or Trinamul Congress of West Bengal, as part of the effort to clinch opposition unity.

The Congress is trying to win the support of regional parties by making as much concessions as possible and assume leadership of Opposition at the national level. An example of this was conceding the chief ministership to JDS in Karnataka. The party is also seeking an opportunity through other such compromises, to get Rahul Gandhi accepted as a consensus candidate for prime minister as well.

For the Rajya Sabha seat from Kerala, there are already keen contenders from the state in the fray. That includes PC Chacko who is staking a claim as AICC official in charge of Delhi and Shanimol Usman who pleads with a grouse that the Congress is letting down Muslim leaders and women. However, Oommen Chandy, who is keen to remain tied to his constituency of Puthuppally, is not in the picture for the time being.

Leaders from Kerala are likely to fly to New Delhi in good time to meet Rahul Gandhi on the subject soon after his return from the US. Their agenda is not confined to the RS seat alone, but will also include the posts of KPCC president and the convener of the United Democratic Front (UDF). For KPCC president's post, Mullappally Ramachandran appears to have an upper hand and K Muraleedharan is heard to be the favourite for UDF convener.