Kerala CM pick: Congress concludes talks, no final decision today

New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress leadership on Saturday concluded crucial discussions in New Delhi to decide the next chief minister of Kerala, six days after the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s sweeping 2026 Assembly election victory. However, no final decision was taken, with leaders saying the party high command would make the final call. 

The high-level meeting, held at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, began at 4 pm and was attended by senior leaders Rahul Gandhi, V D Satheesan, K C Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala and KPCC president Sunny Joseph. After the meeting, the leaders addressed the media and urged supporters to refrain from any rivalry-driven activities, including demonstrations and putting up flex boards.

“The people have given us a landslide majority. However, certain unruly incidents occurred over the past week, and such actions are not part of Congress's culture. We request all our workers to refrain from such activities. The high command will announce the final decision very soon,” AICC general secretary Deepa Dasmunsi told the media.

AICC observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken, who submitted their report to Kharge on Friday, were also part of the discussions. The newly elected MLAs had met the observers at Indira Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. The observers also held discussions with Congress MPs and leaders of allied parties later in the evening.

Speaking to the media in Thiruvananthapuram, senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan stressed the need for unity after the party’s return to power following a decade. 

VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and Sunny Joseph reached Delhi late on Friday night amid intense political activity and lobbying over the chief minister’s post. Satheesan received a grand welcome from League and MSF workers at Kerala House, where supporters draped shawls over him, carried him on their shoulders and celebrated the UDF victory by cutting a cake. In contrast, MSF workers raised slogans against Sunny Joseph upon his arrival, reflecting growing factional tensions within the Congress-led alliance as the leadership race gathers momentum.

Uncertainty over the CM pick had persisted since the results were declared on May 4, in which the UDF won 102 of the 140 seats, and Congress emerged as the single largest party with 63 seats. A strong section of Congress workers had openly backed Satheesan, crediting him with leading the UDF’s campaign and reviving the party after successive defeats in the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections. Supporters also attributed the UDF’s strong performances in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the 2025 local body polls and the recent Assembly elections largely to his leadership.

The election marked a dramatic reversal for the Left Democratic Front, which saw its tally fall from 99 seats in 2021 to 35 this time, ending its decade-long rule in the state.