The suspense over who will become Kerala’s next chief minister continued on Sunday, with the Congress high command yet to announce its decision despite the party’s emphatic Assembly election victory in the state.
The final call is expected to be taken by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, sources said, as intense discussions continue within the party leadership.
Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan said party workers would abide by whatever decision the high command takes regarding the chief ministerial post. Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, he asserted that the debate over leadership had not overshadowed the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) sweeping victory.
The Congress leadership on Saturday held a marathon meeting in Delhi to discuss government formation in Kerala. The meeting, chaired by Kharge, was attended by Rahul Gandhi, AICC in-charge for Kerala Deepa Dasmunshi, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, senior leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan.
Supporters of Satheesan and Venugopal put up posters demanding that their leader be made the Chief Minister of the state.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) led by the Congress has staged a decisive comeback in Kerala, returning to power after a decade. But even before the celebrations have settled, the spotlight has swiftly shifted to the big question of selecting the Chief Minister.
Sources indicated that while a majority of Congress MLAs are believed to favour Venugopal for the chief minister’s post, Satheesan appears to enjoy stronger public support.
Supporters of both leaders have put up posters and banners in Delhi and Kerala backing their respective claims. Student groups in Delhi also welcomed Satheesan upon his arrival in the national capital, while posters supporting Venugopal appeared outside Kharge’s residence.
The Congress won 63 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, while its key ally Indian Union Muslim League secured 22 seats. Alliance partners Kerala Congress and Revolutionary Socialist Party won eight and three seats respectively, helping the UDF secure a commanding tally of 102 seats — well above the two-thirds majority mark.
On May 4, the results of five states had been announced and till now the other 4 states have released their chief ministers name but Kerala still seems to find the right nmame for the state.
It is very strange that even after 7 days, the Congress party still couldn't decide one name. This is not the first time the Congress has kept the decision on picking a chief minister hanging. Intense lobbying was witnessed when the Congress won the Karnataka polls in 2023, with the two top contenders, Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar, lobbying hard for the top post. Finally, a compromise was reached, and Siddaramaiah was named the chief minister with Shivakumar as his deputy.
Such lobbying and delay were also witnessed in 2018, when the Congress won Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.While Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia were chief minister aspirants in Madhya Pradesh, Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot were the front-runners in Rajasthan. Eventually, a compromise was reached after days of uncertainty, and while Kamal Nath was chosen in Madhya Pradesh, Gehlot got the top job in Rajasthan with Pilot as his deputy.
