It seems that whenever Congress wins a state election, it creates a massive headache for the party high command. The headache to decide who should be the next Chief Minister of that state as local leaders and cadre lobby to get their candidate elected as the Chief Minister.
We have seen different leaders lobbying for the CM post in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and now we are seeing it in Kerala. The past incidents, and how they caused friction within the party, must be making Congress approach Kerala situation with extreme caution.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front alliance swept to power in the recent Kerala assembly elections winning 102 seats in the 140 seat assembly. However, now the question remains that who will be their choice for the CM post.
Senior Congress leaders V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala, two of the leaders in the fray, have reached Delhi on Saturday, May 9, for discussions with the party high command. The other name in the race, and apparently the preferred choice of the party High Command, is KC Venugopal. Meetings involving senior AICC leadership are expected to continue through the day, with final decision expected within 24 hours.
With UDF returning to power after Left Democratic Front’s decade-long rule, the race for the CM post is being hotly contested.
Satheesan, who led the Congress campaign against the Pinarayi Vijayan government, is seen by many party workers as the natural claimant to the Chief Minister’s post. His supporters argue that he rebuilt the Congress’s image in Kerala after the party’s crushing defeat in 2021 and transformed the UDF’ into a formidable electoral machine.’s electoral fortunes.
However, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal is seen as a serious contender for the post. Though Venugopal did not contest the Assembly election, reports indicate that a large section of newly elected MLAs may be backing him for the top post.
At the same time, veteran leader Ramesh Chennithala remains firmly in the contest. A seasoned organisational figure with decades of experience, Chennithala is believed to enjoy support among sections of the traditional Congress leadership and senior party functionaries. His camp has reportedly argued that his administrative experience and long-standing contribution to the party make him the most suitable consensus candidate.
The Congress high command now finds itself caught between competing considerations, rewarding electoral leadership, maintaining organisational balance, and ensuring factional peace within the Kerala unit. The party is also keen to avoid prolonged infighting after such a historic victory.
Meanwhile, supporters of each contender have started running social media campaigns to support their favoured candidate. This has raised fears of infighting among party cadre and taking the sheen off the historic victory.
Congress leaders publicly insist that the final decision will be accepted unanimously. Yet, behind closed doors in Delhi, the struggle for Kerala’s top job has become a test of the party’s ability to balance ambition with unity after one of its most significant electoral victories in recent memory.
