Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has returned to power in Kerala after a decisive victory in the 140-member Assembly, winning 102 seats. The Left Democratic Front (LDF), which was in office, secured 35 seats.
With Congress forming the government after a decade, the party is now facing an intense internal contest over who should become chief minister. Senior leader K C Venugopal and former Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan are seen as the main contenders, leaving party workers uncertain despite the electoral triumph.
Venugopal, the Alappuzha Lok Sabha MP, is said to be making a strong push for the top post, citing his proximity to national leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. Reports in the party claim that 47 of the 63 Congress MLAs have expressed support for him.
Satheesan’s supporters argue that the alliance’s victory was driven by his sustained work as Leader of Opposition and that overlooking him would be a “historic mistake”. Key UDF partners such as the Muslim League and Kerala Joseph Congress have also backed Satheesan.
To finalise the choice, Congress has appointed central observers Sachin Pilot, K J George, Kanhaiya Kumar and Imran Pratapgarhi. They are expected to arrive in Kerala on Wednesday, meet MLAs individually, and submit a report to Kharge, as attention turns to the high command’s final decision.
