NEW DELHI: Ending days of suspense and an intense internal power struggle, the Congress is set to announce its Kerala chief ministerial pick on Thursday at a Congress Legislature Party meeting at the KPCC headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. The meeting, scheduled for 1 pm, will be attended by AICC state in-charge Deepa Das Munshi, along with observers Ajay Maken, Mukul Wasnik and others.
The decision came after a nine-day deadlock involving a fierce three-way contest among senior leaders VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and AICC General Secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal.
Notably, the day witnessed dramatic twists and turns as the announcement of the chief ministerial candidate was widely anticipated following a crucial meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge at the latter’s residence.
However, after the meeting, which lasted over 40 minutes, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh told the media that the decision on the chief ministerial nominee would be announced on Thursday. “As authorised by the members of the CLP in Kerala, the high command of the Congress has completed all discussions, and the decision on who the next chief minister of Kerala will be will be announced tomorrow,” Ramesh said.
While speculation continues over who ultimately won the ‘game of thrones’, the Congress leadership reached a decision after multiple rounds of consultations with newly elected MLAs, MPs, former KPCC presidents, working presidents and other senior leaders.
On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi held one-on-one meetings with several party leaders in a bid to end the prolonged uncertainty.
Venugopal, considered a close confidant of Rahul Gandhi, reportedly enjoys the support of a majority of Congress MLAs and MPs, while Satheesan retained the backing of influential UDF allies, including the IUML. Sources indicate that Venugopal secured the support of at least 47 of the 63 Congress MLAs.
Although Venugopal appeared to be the front-runner, sources said the Satheesan camp gained an edge in the leadership’s final round of consultations. Senior leaders such as AK Antony, VM Sudheeran and K Muraleedharan reportedly urged the leadership to take public sentiment into account, which favoured Satheesan.
On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi held another round of phone calls with Congress MPs to gauge their views on the ongoing situation. Kodikunnil Suresh, Congress MP, told this paper that he received a call from Gandhi and spoke with him briefly for about a minute.
It was learnt that Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also urged Rahul Gandhi to take the prevailing political atmosphere into account before finalising the chief ministerial choice.
Sources said the leadership was particularly concerned about the firm stand taken by the Muslim League, the UDF’s key ally, which openly supported Satheesan. The development put the leadership in a difficult position as it anticipated setbacks in the upcoming bypolls and the 2029 general elections. At the same time, the party was keen to avoid the perception of yielding to pressure from its allies.
Satheesan’s camp raised concerns that appointing Venugopal would force the UDF to face two by-elections — one to elect him to the Assembly and another for the Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat currently represented by him. According to them, such a move could be politically risky in the state at present.
The Congress leadership has been facing mounting pressure to finalise a chief ministerial candidate despite the May 4 Assembly election results, in which the party secured a historic mandate of 102 seats. The delay also exposed sharp internal divisions within the party and its allies.