Thiruvananthapuram : Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan on Tuesday said that the Kerala CM would not be decided merely based on the opinion of MLAs, instead views of the UDF partners and the general public would also be taken into consideration.

He said that since it is the UDF CM, and not just the Congress, who is being decided, the front partners’ views will also have to be considered.

If the decision had to be taken just on the views of the MLAs, it would already be done by now, Muraleedharan added, while speaking to a TV channel here.

“That is why the high command decided to hold an extensive discussion on the issue,” he said.

He further said that there has been a change in the Congress from the past generations in the party.

“At the time of K Karunakaran, A K Antony or Oommen Chandy, there were no other options. In the poll campaigns they led, they were the choice for CM. That is not the case now,” he said.

Amid uncertainty over the selection of Kerala’s chief minister, the Congress high command will seek the opinions of former KPCC presidents and working presidents on Tuesday before taking a final decision on the matter.

Leaders who have been called to Delhi by the central leadership include former KPCC presidents V M Sudheeran, Mullappally Ramachandran, K Muraleedharan, K Sudhakaran and M M Hassan.

The party has also asked senior MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and working presidents P C Vishnunath, Shafi Parambil and A P Anil Kumar to come to Delhi.

Discussions will be held with them on Tuesday, and a decision is expected soon, party sources said.

The three main contenders for the post of chief minister are senior leaders Ramesh Chennithala, V D Satheesan and AICC general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal.