Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress high command is yet to announce its choice for Kerala Chief Minister, even nine days after the party’s historic Assembly election victory, though senior leaders have indicated that a decision is likely to be announced on Wednesday.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi held discussions with senior leaders from Kerala in Delhi on Tuesday, with talks reportedly continuing late into the night. Earlier in the day, party leaders had also met Sonia Gandhi at her residence to share their views on the leadership issue.

With senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala indicating that he would abide by the high command’s decision, the contest is now widely seen as a two-way race between AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal and Leader of Opposition in the 15th Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan. The United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a decisive mandate in the Assembly elections, winning 102 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, comfortably crossing the two-thirds majority mark.

As part of the consultations, senior leaders and former KPCC presidents V M Sudheeran, K Muraleedharan, Mullappally Ramachandran, K Sudhakaran and M M Hassan were asked to reach Delhi on Tuesday for discussions with the high command. AICC disciplinary committee chairman Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and KPCC working presidents A P Anilkumar, P C Vishnunath and Shafi Parambil were also invited for consultations.

It was reported that V M Sudheeran and K Muraleedharan conveyed to the leadership that public sentiment appeared to favour Satheesan. While M M Hassan declined to disclose whom he backed, K Sudhakaran was expected to support Venugopal.

Meanwhile, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said the delay in naming the Chief Minister had somewhat overshadowed the party’s electoral victory, but added that a decision would be taken soon.

Pressure is also mounting from UDF workers and constituent parties for an early resolution. Leaders of the Muslim League, a key constituent of the UDF, on Tuesday publicly urged the Congress leadership to expedite the decision, saying party workers were facing repeated questions from the public over the delay in naming the next Chief Minister.

League leaders are understood to have conveyed their support for Satheesan, citing public perception in his favour. 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.

However, the League’s involvement in the chief ministerial discussions has drawn criticism from various corners. Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said there was no need to drag the League into the Congress’ internal leadership matter. Halso said that the High Command will make a decision vary soon.

Other leaders, including A P Anilkumar, P C Vishnunath and Shafi Parambil, also indicated that the announcement was likely soon.

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.