Thiruvananthapuram, July 20 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan will arrive in New Delhi on Monday night for a series of meetings that could have a bearing on both the government’s financial position and the Congress party’s organisational future in the state.
Top on the Chief Minister’s agenda are meetings with Union Ministers to seek Central assistance for several pending infrastructure and development projects, while also pushing for approval of new proposals.
The visit assumes added significance as Kerala continues to grapple with a severe financial crunch, making enhanced Central support critical for the government’s immediate and long-term commitments.
The state is facing mounting fiscal pressure, with substantial outstanding payments to medicine suppliers and other pending liabilities.
The government is also looking to secure greater financial assistance for development projects and improve the flow of Central funds at a time when public finances remain under strain.
Apart from official engagements, CM Satheesan is also expected to hold discussions with the Congress high command on organisational matters, particularly the appointment of a new Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, as Sunny Joseph, the president, has joined the cabinet.
Party leaders expect the process of selecting his successor to gather momentum during the Chief Minister’s visit, as the list of hopefuls has grown.
The Delhi meetings come exactly two months after the Congress-led United Democratic Front scripted a landslide victory in the Assembly elections, winning 102 of the 140 seats and ending the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front’s tenure in office.
Satheesan was subsequently chosen as Chief Minister after internal deliberations within the Congress, with AICC General Secretary and Alappuzha MP K.C. Venugopal also figuring prominently in the leadership discussions before the high command settled on Satheesan.
However, the political atmosphere within the party has become less settled in the past few days following the public spat between the Chief Minister and the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the Congress’ student wing.
The controversy has triggered intense debate within the party and is understood to have caused concern among the central leadership.
With the high command reportedly keen to restore organisational cohesion, Satheesan’s meetings in Delhi are expected to focus not only on governance and finances but also on addressing internal differences and ensuring greater unity within the party.
–IANS
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