Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], May 7 : Congress leaders and AICC observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik arrived at the Keralam Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday to attend the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting following the party-led UDF's sweeping victory in the Keralam Assembly elections.
Speaking to reporters upon arrival, Ajay Maken said, "We have come here to attend the CLP meeting. Let us see what the MLAs want."
The CLP meeting assumes significance as the Congress leadership begins consultations to decide the Chief Ministerial face in Keralam after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a decisive mandate in the Assembly elections.
Earlier in the day, senior Keralam Congress leaders, including VD Satheesan, K Suresh and Deepa Dasmunshi, arrived at a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram to meet the two observers.
Congress MP K Suresh said the process of appointing observers after elections was a standard practice followed by the Congress high command.
"This is a part of the process by the Congress high command. Every election, whether Congress gets a majority or not, the high command sends observers for selecting and electing the CLP leader," Suresh told reporters.
He added that Mukul Wasnik's earlier experience as Keralam in-charge and Ajay Maken's senior organisational role made them suitable for assessing the political situation in the state.
"After their evaluation with the various newly elected MLAs, they will send a report to the high command. Based on their report, and after the high command talks to senior leaders, they will take an appropriate decision," Suresh said.
Asked about his own aspirations, the Congress MP said he would abide by the decision of the party leadership.
"I will obey the decision to be taken by the party high command," he stated.
The Congress-led UDF won 102 seats in the 140-member Keralam Assembly, ending a decade-long rule of the Left Democratic Front (LDF). Congress emerged as the single-largest party in the alliance with 63 seats, while its ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), secured 22 seats.
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