AICC General Secretary (Organisation), member of the Lok Sabha representing Alappuzha, K C Venugopal has emerged as the frontrunner for the Kerala Chief Minister’s post after securing the backing of 47 of the Congress party’s 63 newly elected MLAs, party sources said on Thursday.
The show of strength came during one-to-one interactions between MLAs and AICC central observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken in Thiruvananthapuram. The observers have since returned to New Delhi and are expected to submit their report to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, with a final decision likely by the weekend.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph was among those who proposed Venugopal’s name. Several MLAs-elect, including Sandeep G Varier, Sajeev Joseph, T O Mohan and Usha Vijayan, also backed him.
In comparison, senior leader Ramesh Chennithala has the support of eight MLAs, while incumbent Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan has the backing of six. Both Chennithala and Satheesan met the observers to present their case, while Venugopal skipped the interaction.
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The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) unanimously authorised Kharge to take the final call on the chief ministerial candidate. Sources said the high command could announce its decision by Saturday or Sunday, with the swearing-in likely within two days of the announcement.
Parallel consultations were also held with MPs and senior leaders. While three former KPCC chiefs are learnt to have supported Satheesan, a significant section of the leadership backed Venugopal.
Amid the leadership tussle, discussions intensified within the United Democratic Front (UDF) allies. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is understood to have favoured Satheesan, while Kerala Congress (Joseph) also indicated support for him, urging the high command to consider public sentiment.
However, smaller allies such as the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) refrained from proposing any name, calling instead for an early resolution, while the CMP aligned with Satheesan.
Sources indicated that the final decision may rest with Rahul Gandhi, given Venugopal’s position in the party organisation. The leadership is also wary of potential dissent and is keen to ensure a smooth transition.
The intense contest follows the Congress-led UDF’s strong electoral performance, with the party increasing its tally from 21 to 63 seats and the alliance’s strength rising to 102 in the Assembly.
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