Thiruvananthapuram: Eight days after the Kerala Assembly election results, the Congress leadership is yet to announce the next chief minister, with the uncertainty prompting the party high command to expand consultations with senior leaders in Delhi.

With senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala agreeing to abide by the high command’s decision, the contest is now largely seen as being between AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal and Opposition leader in the 15th Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan. The UDF secured a decisive mandate in the Assembly elections, winning 102 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, well above the two-thirds majority mark.

As part of the latest round of discussions, the Congress leadership has decided to seek the views of former KPCC presidents and other senior leaders before taking a final call. Former KPCC presidents K Muraleedharan, V M Sudheeran, Mullappally Ramachandran, K Sudhakaran and M M Hassan have been asked to reach Delhi on Tuesday. AICC disciplinary committee chairman Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and KPCC working presidents A P Anilkumar, P C Vishnunath and Shafi Parambil have also been invited for consultations.

Among them, Mullappally Ramachandran is expected to convey his views directly to Rahul Gandhi over the phone. AICC sources said the final decision could come either on Tuesday or Wednesday after hearing all sides.

Senior Congress leaders who spoke to Onmanorama said the decision to call former KPCC chiefs for consultations is being viewed within the party as a sign that the leadership may be leaning towards Venugopal. “If the high command wanted Satheesan as chief minister, Mallikarjun Kharge could have simply announced it,” a senior leader said.

The expanded consultations come after both the V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala camps reportedly conveyed that the chief ministerial choice should not be decided solely on the basis of MLA support. Party insiders also see the exercise as an attempt by the high command to build wider consensus before making the announcement.

Rahul Gandhi is also expected to speak with veteran Congress leader A K Antony as part of the ongoing discussions. Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi is learnt to have informed Rahul Gandhi that her office has been flooded with phone calls and emails regarding the Kerala chief ministerial race. Sources said inputs from UDF allies were also discussed during a half-hour meeting between Rahul and Priyanka. The matter, however, has not yet been placed before Sonia Gandhi.

Where leaders stand
Among the various leaders summoned, K Muraleedharan had earlier said the “Team UDF” concept was V D Satheesan’s idea and stressed that the stand of allies, including the Muslim League, would play an important role in the final decision. V M Sudheeran is reportedly backing Satheesan, while the Satheesan camp also believes Mullappally Ramachandran favours respecting public support in the chief ministerial selection. K Sudhakaran is said to be aligned with the K C Venugopal camp. M M Hassan, whose support is being sought by all three camps, maintained a neutral stand during discussions with party observers. Indications are that Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan is with the Venugopal camp. KPCC working presidents A P Anilkumar, P C Vishnunath and Shafi Parambil are also believed to be backing Venugopal and are actively involved in behind-the-scenes discussions.

The delay in Kerala has also triggered concern among UDF allies. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key constituent of the UDF, has openly expressed displeasure over the prolonged uncertainty.

IUML Malappuram district general secretary P Abdul Hameed said the delay had already caused dissatisfaction among party workers and the public. “The decision has already been delayed. If it is prolonged further, there will be repercussions. We hope the AICC leadership realises this,” he told reporters. He also claimed that people across the state were questioning the delay, and that even women voters from Malappuram were calling party leaders asking why they had been made to vote for the UDF.

Not the first time
This is not the first time the Congress has delayed announcing a chief minister after an election victory. Similar scenes played out in Karnataka in 2023, when Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar engaged in intense lobbying for the top post after the Congress win. After days of negotiations, Siddaramaiah was named chief minister while Shivakumar was made deputy chief minister.

A similar power struggle unfolded in 2018 after the Congress emerged victorious in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia were seen as contenders in Madhya Pradesh, while Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot were locked in a contest in Rajasthan. Eventually, Kamal Nath was chosen in Madhya Pradesh, while Gehlot became Rajasthan chief minister with Pilot as deputy. In Chhattisgarh too, the leadership grappled with competing claims before Bhupesh Baghel was finally selected.