More than a week after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) returned to power in Kerala with a decisive mandate, the suspense over the next Chief Minister seems far from over. After a series of marathon meetings in Delhi, the Congress leadership is expected to announce its final decision today. Senior leaders from Kerala spent the entire day in consultations with the party high command as the race for the top post entered its final stage.
According to various reports, the discussions have now narrowed down to three main contenders KC Venugopal, V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala.
Delay in CM choice fading winning charm?
The Congress-led UDF stormed back to power on May 4, ending a decade of Left rule in the state by winning 102 seats in the 140-member assembly. But even after the clear mandate, the party has struggled to quickly settle the leadership question, exposing internal lobbying and factional equations within the Kerala Congress unit.
Over the past few days, several senior leaders were called to Delhi for consultations. Former Kerala Congress chiefs, senior MLAs and working presidents met central observers and top leadership to give their views on who should lead the new government.
KC Venugopal emerges as strong frontrunner
Among the three names, KC Venugopal is increasingly being seen as the leading contender.
Sources say a majority of Congress leaders from Kerala have backed him during internal discussions.
His supporters believe his organisational experience and close coordination with the central leadership make him the strongest choice to lead the state.
Venugopal is currently one of the Congress party’s key national strategists and is considered close to senior leadership in Delhi. Many within the party believe his appointment could strengthen Congress’ broader southern strategy ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
However, some leaders have also raised concerns over moving him away from Delhi at a time when the party is preparing for bigger national political battles.
Satheesan gets support from cadre and allies
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan continues to enjoy strong support among sections of party workers and alliance partners. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), an important UDF ally, has openly favoured Satheesan for the Chief Minister’s post. His camp argues that public sentiment is strongly in his favour after the UDF victory.
Some Congress leaders also believe Satheesan’s aggressive campaign against the Left government played a major role in the alliance’s return to power.
Chennithala seen as possible consensus candidate
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala remains firmly in the race and is being viewed as a possible compromise candidate if internal divisions deepen. Party leaders say his long administrative experience and acceptability across different camps could work in his favour.
Some insiders believe Chennithala may benefit if the competition between Venugopal and Satheesan becomes too politically sensitive for the leadership.
Alliance management also becomes key issue
The Congress leadership is also carefully handling its alliance partners while finalising the decision. Senior leaders have reportedly assured allies that power-sharing and political representation within the UDF will remain balanced regardless of who becomes Chief Minister.
As consultations continued through the day, most leaders avoided openly backing any one candidate before the media. Several senior Congress figures, including former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs, met central leaders and shared their opinions privately.
Party insiders now say the final decision largely rests with Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Also Read: LDF rebukes Congress-led UDF over delay in choosing Kerala CM: 'Respect people's verdict'
