Fresh tension has surfaced within the Congress in Kerala after posters targeting Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra appeared in Wayanad amid the ongoing race for the Chief Minister’s post. The posters, which were seen near the Wayanad District Congress Committee office, appeared to warn the party leadership against backing senior Congress leader KC Venugopal as the next Chief Minister of Kerala.
Some of the messages carried sharp political remarks, claiming that “Wayanad will become the next Amethi” if the Congress high command ignores local sentiment while deciding the leadership.
Posters target Rahul and Priyanka
The posters directly mentioned Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, urging them not to make what the messages described as “wrong decisions” regarding Kerala leadership.
Some posters even warned the Gandhi siblings to “forget Wayanad,” suggesting they may not receive support from the constituency in future elections if the leadership choice creates resentment within the state unit.
The posters also criticised KC Venugopal, calling him too close to the central leadership and accusing the high command of favouring Delhi-based influence over local party opinion. So far, the Congress leadership has not officially reacted to the posters.
Congress victory but the leadership tussle continues
The controversy comes just days after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) registered a massive victory in the Kerala Assembly elections. The alliance won 102 out of 140 seats, returning to power after a decade and pushing the Left Democratic Front down to 35 seats.
However, soon after the victory, discussions over the Chief Minister’s post triggered intense lobbying within the party.
At present, three names are being seen as the main contenders:
- KC Venugopal
- VD Satheesan
- Ramesh Chennithala
The leadership battle has now exposed internal divisions between different camps within the Kerala Congress.
Rahul Gandhi holds meetings in Delhi
Amid growing uncertainty, Rahul Gandhi held discussions with former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) presidents in Delhi on Tuesday. Sources said senior Kerala leaders shared their opinions regarding the Chief Ministerial choice during the meetings.
Former KPCC chief K Muraleedharan said after meeting Rahul Gandhi that the party was likely to announce its final decision soon. Another senior leader, VM Sudheeran, said he discussed the political atmosphere in Kerala and public sentiment with the Congress leadership.
He expressed hope that the decision would reflect the mood of the people and party workers in the state.
High Command continues consultations
The Congress central leadership is continuing discussions before announcing the next Chief Minister. Party observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik have already met newly elected MLAs and gathered feedback from different groups within the state unit.
The leadership has also held talks with the three key contenders as well as Kerala Congress president Sunny Joseph. Sources indicate that the final announcement on Kerala’s next Chief Minister could come on Thursday.
Also Read: Kerala CM announcement delayed again as Congress pushes consensus on KC Venugopal
