Kerala CM suspense: Ball in Rahul Gandhi's court, decision in next 24 hours
Sources said the party is likely to take a final call on the next Kerala CM within the next 24 hours, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expected in Delhi by evening to participate in the final discussions.
The Congress high command has entered the final round of deliberations over the next Chief Minister of Kerala, with a marathon round of meetings unfolding in Delhi all through the day. Senior leaders from the Kerala unit met the party leadership in what is being viewed as the final phase of consultations before the announcement of the new leader.
Sources said the party is likely to take a final call within the next 24 hours, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expected in Delhi by evening to participate in the final discussions.
DELHI: THE NERVE CENTRE OF KERALA POWER STRUGGLE
The tussle over the Kerala Chief Minister’s post has now firmly shifted to Delhi, with 10 Janpath emerging as the epicentre of hectic political activity. Several senior leaders from Kerala held meetings with Rahul Gandhi and members of the central leadership throughout the day.
Senior Congress leader K Muralidharan, former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president, said the decision will be taken after meeting the Rae Baraeli MP.
“I had a good meeting. I conveyed my choice to Rahul Gandhi. A decision is likely maximum by tomorrow,” Muralidharan said.
Party insiders indicated that the leadership is keen to avoid prolonged uncertainty and wants a swift announcement once internal consultations conclude.
KC VENUGOPAL: THE FRONTRUNNER
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal is currently being seen as the frontrunner in the race. However, the central dilemma before the leadership is whether the party can afford to move him out of Delhi at a politically crucial juncture.
Venugopal has increasingly emerged as Gandhi’s principal troubleshooter, both inside Parliament and within the organisation, earning the reputation of being the Leader of Opposition’s “man Friday”.
Sources say the final decision rests largely with Gandhi, given Venugopal’s proximity to him and the critical organisational role he currently plays. His importance is expected to grow further in the run-up to the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Party insiders suggest that appointing Venugopal as Kerala Chief Minister could also become an “honourable transition” from his role as General Secretary (Organisation), while simultaneously strengthening the Congress’ southern political axis.
The Congress leadership is increasingly looking at the South as its principal political stronghold, with Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala forming the backbone of the party’s national strategy against the BJP ahead of 2029.
Having a trusted Gandhi confidant heading Kerala could help the party maintain tighter political coordination across southern states and bolster organisational performance in the region.
Venugopal is also viewed internally as someone capable of architecting a stronger southern strategy for the Congress in the years ahead.
RAMESH CHENNITHALA: SAFE CONSENSUS CHOICE
Senior leader Ramesh Chennithala is being viewed as the second major contender and a relatively “safe” consensus option within sections of the party.
Sources indicate that his administrative experience, seniority and acceptability across factions have worked in his favour during the deliberations.
“He is a veteran leader and has been in the party for decades. He could benefit from the tussle between Venugopal and VD Satheesan,” a senior Congress leader said.
Party insiders believe Chennithala’s biggest advantage could lie in his ability to emerge as a compromise candidate if factional divisions deepen.
VD SATHEESAN: AGGRESSIVE PITCHING HURTING CHANCES
Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan continues to enjoy significant popularity among sections of the cadre, the public and alliance partners. However, party insiders say aggressive lobbying by his supporters may have dented his prospects during the final round of consultations.
Sources suggest the leadership was uncomfortable with overt public messaging from some quarters projecting Satheesan as the natural frontrunner before the Congress high command had arrived at a decision.
CONGRESS REACHES OUT TO IUML
Even as the Congress leadership weighs its options, it has simultaneously moved to contain unease within the alliance.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key UDF ally in Kerala, had made public statements backing Satheesan for the top post, prompting the Congress to activate back-channel communication with the ally.
Sources said the Congress leadership conveyed to the IUML that the selection of the Chief Minister remains the prerogative of the Congress party, while also assuring the ally that its political aspirations and power-sharing concerns would be taken into account irrespective of who becomes CM.
A senior source told India Today that the message conveyed to the IUML was clear: “They are in alliance with the Congress and Rahul Gandhi will ensure a fair share. They should not be too finicky about the choice of Chief Minister.”
The outreach is being seen as an attempt by the Congress to prevent any public fissures within the UDF at a sensitive moment.
BALL IN RAHUL GANDHI'S COURT
With factional balancing, alliance management and national organisational considerations intersecting in deciding the next Kerala CM, the final call is now widely seen as resting with Gandhi.
The leadership is expected to weigh not only Kerala’s immediate political equations, but also the long-term implications for the Congress’ national strategy and southern expansion ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
For the Congress, the Kerala Chief Ministerial choice is no longer merely a state-level appointment — it is increasingly being viewed as a decision with national political consequences.
The Congress high command has entered the final round of deliberations over the next Chief Minister of Kerala, with a marathon round of meetings unfolding in Delhi all through the day. Senior leaders from the Kerala unit met the party leadership in what is being viewed as the final phase of consultations before the announcement of the new leader.
Sources said the party is likely to take a final call within the next 24 hours, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expected in Delhi by evening to participate in the final discussions.
DELHI: THE NERVE CENTRE OF KERALA POWER STRUGGLE
The tussle over the Kerala Chief Minister’s post has now firmly shifted to Delhi, with 10 Janpath emerging as the epicentre of hectic political activity. Several senior leaders from Kerala held meetings with Rahul Gandhi and members of the central leadership throughout the day.
Senior Congress leader K Muralidharan, former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president, said the decision will be taken after meeting the Rae Baraeli MP.
“I had a good meeting. I conveyed my choice to Rahul Gandhi. A decision is likely maximum by tomorrow,” Muralidharan said.
Party insiders indicated that the leadership is keen to avoid prolonged uncertainty and wants a swift announcement once internal consultations conclude.
KC VENUGOPAL: THE FRONTRUNNER
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal is currently being seen as the frontrunner in the race. However, the central dilemma before the leadership is whether the party can afford to move him out of Delhi at a politically crucial juncture.
Venugopal has increasingly emerged as Gandhi’s principal troubleshooter, both inside Parliament and within the organisation, earning the reputation of being the Leader of Opposition’s “man Friday”.
Sources say the final decision rests largely with Gandhi, given Venugopal’s proximity to him and the critical organisational role he currently plays. His importance is expected to grow further in the run-up to the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Party insiders suggest that appointing Venugopal as Kerala Chief Minister could also become an “honourable transition” from his role as General Secretary (Organisation), while simultaneously strengthening the Congress’ southern political axis.
The Congress leadership is increasingly looking at the South as its principal political stronghold, with Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala forming the backbone of the party’s national strategy against the BJP ahead of 2029.
Having a trusted Gandhi confidant heading Kerala could help the party maintain tighter political coordination across southern states and bolster organisational performance in the region.
Venugopal is also viewed internally as someone capable of architecting a stronger southern strategy for the Congress in the years ahead.
RAMESH CHENNITHALA: SAFE CONSENSUS CHOICE
Senior leader Ramesh Chennithala is being viewed as the second major contender and a relatively “safe” consensus option within sections of the party.
Sources indicate that his administrative experience, seniority and acceptability across factions have worked in his favour during the deliberations.
“He is a veteran leader and has been in the party for decades. He could benefit from the tussle between Venugopal and VD Satheesan,” a senior Congress leader said.
Party insiders believe Chennithala’s biggest advantage could lie in his ability to emerge as a compromise candidate if factional divisions deepen.
VD SATHEESAN: AGGRESSIVE PITCHING HURTING CHANCES
Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan continues to enjoy significant popularity among sections of the cadre, the public and alliance partners. However, party insiders say aggressive lobbying by his supporters may have dented his prospects during the final round of consultations.
Sources suggest the leadership was uncomfortable with overt public messaging from some quarters projecting Satheesan as the natural frontrunner before the Congress high command had arrived at a decision.
CONGRESS REACHES OUT TO IUML
Even as the Congress leadership weighs its options, it has simultaneously moved to contain unease within the alliance.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key UDF ally in Kerala, had made public statements backing Satheesan for the top post, prompting the Congress to activate back-channel communication with the ally.
Sources said the Congress leadership conveyed to the IUML that the selection of the Chief Minister remains the prerogative of the Congress party, while also assuring the ally that its political aspirations and power-sharing concerns would be taken into account irrespective of who becomes CM.
A senior source told India Today that the message conveyed to the IUML was clear: “They are in alliance with the Congress and Rahul Gandhi will ensure a fair share. They should not be too finicky about the choice of Chief Minister.”
The outreach is being seen as an attempt by the Congress to prevent any public fissures within the UDF at a sensitive moment.
BALL IN RAHUL GANDHI'S COURT
With factional balancing, alliance management and national organisational considerations intersecting in deciding the next Kerala CM, the final call is now widely seen as resting with Gandhi.
The leadership is expected to weigh not only Kerala’s immediate political equations, but also the long-term implications for the Congress’ national strategy and southern expansion ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
For the Congress, the Kerala Chief Ministerial choice is no longer merely a state-level appointment — it is increasingly being viewed as a decision with national political consequences.
