New Delhi, May 14 : In a display of calculated restraint after one of the fiercest leadership contests the Congress party in Kerala has witnessed in recent years, party General Secretary K.C. Venugopal on Thursday publicly accepted the high commandâ??s decision to appoint V.D. Satheesan as Keralaâ??s next Chief Minister, even as more than 50 newly elected Congress MLAs were widely believed to have backed his candidature for the top post.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi shortly after the announcement, Venugopal struck a tone that was part statesman, part loyal organisational soldier and carefully avoided any trace of bitterness despite missing out in a race many insiders believed had gone down to the wire.

â??Satheesan has been appointed as Chief Minister. The CLP will meet and accept it. It was a stunning victory for the Congress-led UDF with 102 seats,â?? he said, congratulating Satheesan and stressing that the partyâ??s collective mandate remained bigger than individual ambitions.

â??All along I was saying the decision of the high command will prevail, and it is my responsibility to see that the high commandâ??s decision is respected and implemented,â?? Venugopal declared, effectively drawing a line under days of feverish lobbying and speculation.

The remark carried significance because Venugopal was not merely another aspirant. Backed by a powerful organisational network and strong support among legislators, he was seen by many as one of the most formidable contenders in the race.

His supporters had openly projected him as the natural administrative face of the new government. Yet, even in disappointment, Venugopal remained firmly within the Congress culture of high-command supremacy.

â??Party is ultimate for me. I will be pained if my party is pained,â?? he said, while dismissing questions over cyber attacks and criticism from rival camps.

â??I have been in politics for over 45 years. Let the attacks continue. My decision is very clear: party leadership is the final word,â?? he said.

Rejecting BJP allegations that the Congress leadership had succumbed to pressure from the IUML, Venugopal termed the charge â??baselessâ??.

And when asked whether he would attend Satheesanâ??s swearing-in ceremony, the veteran leader responded: â??What a question.â??

/IANS