Amid continuing uncertainty over the selection of Kerala’s next Chief Minister, All India Congress Committee (AICC) observers are expected to submit their report on the views of the newly elected Congress MLAs to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday.

AICC observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken on Thursday held one-on-one discussions with the 63 newly elected Congress MLAs to assess their preferences on the leadership issue. Following the meeting, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) unanimously passed a resolution authorising Kharge to appoint the CLP leader, who will become Kerala's next CM. The observers also met leaders of UDF ally parties.

Although the observers maintained that the MLAs had left the final decision to the party high command, uncertainty persists over the choice between K C Venugopal MP and former Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan. While Satheesan is said to have stronger backing from UDF allies, the Congress leadership is likely to place greater emphasis on the opinion of Congress MLAs, where Venugopal is believed to hold an advantage. Another contender in the fray is Haripad MLA and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala.

Meanwhile, Congress workers across Kerala have intensified social media campaigns and staged protests demanding that Satheesan be chosen as the CM. They argue that he spearheaded the UDF’s campaign and played a crucial role in leading the alliance to a decisive victory, ending the Left Democratic Front (LDF)’s decade-long rule in the state. Some party workers also cautioned the leadership against triggering a by-election.

In the Assembly elections, the UDF secured a landslide victory with 102 seats, while the Congress emerged as the single largest party with 63 seats. Meanwhile, the LDF, which had won 99 seats in 2021, was reduced to 35 seats, and Satheesan was widely seen as the frontrunner for the CM’s post. Since taking over as Leader of Opposition following the UDF’s defeats in the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections, he has been credited with rebuilding the party organisation and reviving its electoral prospects. Party workers also attribute the UDF’s performances in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the 2025 local body polls and the recent Assembly elections largely to his leadership.