Véronique Hivon's star rising for Parti Québécois top job

​Véronique Hivon is the one to watch in the race to replace Pierre Karl Péladeau as the leader of the Parti Québécois.

Sources say about a dozen MNAs are ready to throw their support behind the popular MNA from Joliette.

She may also be in line to get the support of Jean-Martin Aussant, the former Option nationale leader who had been considered a possible contender for the PQ leadership. 

Sources told Radio-Canada that Aussant won't be throwing his hat in the ring, and could back Hivon instead. 

But first, the caucus needs to choose an interim leader.

That is the one and only order of business at today's emergency caucus meeting at Le Bonne Entente Hotel in Quebec City, four days after former leader and media mogul Péladeau's bombshell resignation.

Sources close to Hivon say her candidacy seems to be inevitable. A team is already forming around her, including a former executive director of the PQ and two experienced political organizers who have offered their help.

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Hivon can also count on the support of people outside the political world. Four supporters came together to create a "Draft Véronique Hivon" campaign on Twitter and Facebook.

Jerry Beaudoin, one of the founders, says they are independent of Hivon's team and want to show her that there are people ready to pound the pavement for her leadership campaign.

"We need strong and unifying leadership that can put the machine in place very quickly," said Beaudoin, a teacher and card-carrying PQ member. "Everyone recognizes, even her adversaries, that Véronique Hivon is a unifier."

The group is also getting support from members of other separatist parties, such as Québec Solidaire. It could be a sign of how Hivon might change the political landscape beyond her own party, tearing support away from leftist-sovereignist Québec Solidaire.

Don't count out Alexandre Cloutier

When Péladeau stepped down, all eyes turned to Lac-St-Jean MNA Alexandre Cloutier. He finished a strong second to Péladeau at last year's leadership convention.However, he had the support of Hivon and her followers in that race after she decided not to run.  

Cloutier's team says several MNAs would like him to run again, but no one can confirm who and how many.

Cloutier and Hivon are close friends, so if both run that could make for a unique, personal dimension to the leadership race.

Other candidates may include former leadership candidates Jean-François Lisée, Bernard Drainville and Martine Ouellet. 

'The mini race'

While the most important race is the one for the permanent job, PQ MNAs, still shell-shocked by Péladeau's surprise resignation Monday, need to choose someone to lead them into the National Assembly on Tuesday. This will be the task at today's meeting.

The two people vying for the role of interim leader are Jonquière MNA and former transportation minister Sylvain Gaudreault and current PQ deputy house leader Agnès Maltais.

Gaudreault was the first one out of the gate on Tuesday, outlining his vision for the interim leader: someone who is calm, confident and knows the files.

Meanwhile, Maltais was rushing back to Quebec from France, where she was part of a delegation.

She insists Gaudreault does not have the race wrapped up.

"Party members and MNAs have known me for a long time," she says. "And I think they're capable of making a judgment not over only 24 hours, but according to the solid career I've had."

With files from Radio-Canada's Julie Dufresne.