New Delhi: Senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal on Thursday gave a measured response to reporters over former KPCC president K Sudhakaran’s stand on the party’s chief ministerial candidate.

“Everyone has their own freedom. K Sudhakaran is a senior leader. But it is better to avoid public controversies,” he said, adding, “It is not just K. Sudhakaran, whoever it is, I say the same.”

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He stressed that the issue of the chief minister’s post should not be dragged into public discussion. “The matter related to the chief minister’s post need not be discussed publicly,” he said in New Delhi.

Focus on national issues, not internal debate

Responding sharply to questions on Congress’s internal matters, Venugopal said he is focused on larger national concerns linked to delimitation. “I am speaking about one of the most important issues the country is facing regarding delimitation. Why ask about internal issues of the Congress?” he said.

“This is an issue that affects the very essence of the country’s largest democracy,” he said. With “a serious issue affecting the country” in focus, he added he was not interested in debates over the chief minister’s post.

‘Wait for the result’, leadership decision later

Venugopal asked for patience until the results are declared on May 4. “Let the result come on May 4. Wait until then,” he said. He asserted that Congress has a system and leadership structure to take decisions collectively. “The Congress has leadership. The party has a system and leaders. Everyone will discuss and decide together.”

He maintained that party leaders are calm and working in coordination. “All leaders are very calm… all are working in unity. That unity still exists,” he said.

Response to criticism, reiteration of unity

Addressing recent criticism, Venugopal said: “Some sections of the media discussed in recent days that I am a zero. Let it be zero, I have been hearing this for the past 10 years.” He added, “If they are the ones deciding, let them decide. Wait for the result.”

Recalling pre-election predictions of unrest within the Kerala unit of Congress, he said such claims did not materialise. “It was said there would be a major turmoil in the Kerala unit of Congress before the elections. It was said there would be chaos after candidate selection, but nothing happened… things will move smoothly,” he said, reiterating that the chief minister will be decided collectively by the party.