Congress, after a decisive victory in the Kerala Assembly election, is yet to finalise its chief ministerial candidate, with the party high command facing pressure from multiple camps.
In the 140-member House, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has won 102 seats to form the government. Congress alone secured 63 seats, while the ruling Left Democratic Front was reduced to 35.
The contest for the top post has intensified among senior leaders K C Venugopal, V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala. Supporters have been campaigning publicly through posters and social media, while Chennithala has argued for the post on seniority and Venugopal has cited backing among newly elected MLAs.
Satheesan, who led the campaign as the Assembly Opposition leader, has also staked his claim, pointing to the outreach and public support generated during the election. A key meeting chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi, attended by Rahul Gandhi and other leaders, ran for about three hours but did not produce a final decision.
Party leaders said the chief minister’s name would be announced at the appropriate time and that there is time until May 23. The high command is also keen to avoid factional infighting, recalling past instances when internal disputes followed major Congress wins in Kerala.
