Kerala Government Formation Highlights: Sonia Gandhi to take final call on Kerala CM, decision expected soon

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The Congress leadership has completed internal discussions over the selection of Kerala’s next Chief Minister, with the final decision now resting with Sonia Gandhi. An official announcement is expected to be made by Mallikarjun Kharge within the next 24 to 48 hours.

According to party sources, the three main contenders — KC Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala, and VD Satheesan — presented their arguments during a key meeting on Sunday. However, all leaders reportedly agreed to abide by the high command’s final decision.

Sources said a majority of MLAs are backing Venugopal, though the leadership is seeking consensus among senior party figures before making the final choice.

Rahul Gandhi is also said to be weighing whether Venugopal should lead Kerala or continue as Congress general secretary at the national level.

The Congress high command has meanwhile advised leaders and supporters to avoid public displays of support, including posters and slogan-shouting, warning that such activities could damage the party’s image despite its strong electoral performance.
 

Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan on Saturday said all constituents of the United Democratic Front, including the Indian Union Muslim League, have the right to voice opinions on internal Congress matters, including the choice of the next Kerala Chief Minister, as they are part of the 'team'.

The BJP, however, read his remarks differently, alleging that it reflected the Congress party yielding ground to the IUML. In a Facebook post, the BJP's Kerala unit said the Kasaragod MP's statement indicated that control over the UDF and the Congress had effectively shifted to the IUML.

Veteran CPI(M) leader T K Hamza on Saturday said the Left Democratic Front's defeat in the Kerala Assembly elections was not due to anti-incumbency, but because of a political alliance formed by United Democratic Front, the BJP and the Jamaat-e-Islami to stop the Left from returning to power for a third consecutive term.

"They knew that if the LDF won for a third time, then it would be difficult to push the Left out of power in the future. So, the Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, BJP and the Jamaat-e-Islami's Welfare Party all worked hard together to defeat the LDF," he contended.

Following the Congress leadership meeting on Kerala's chief ministerial selection, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunny Joseph said the decision rests entirely with the party's high command and will be announced at an appropriate time. Speaking on the ongoing discussions, Joseph said there were no differences within the leadership and all issues had been resolved.

"It will take its own time. The high command will announce at an appropriate time...There are no barriers at all, everything is solved...It is upto the high command," he said while speaking to news agency ANI. 

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Friday said the party high command would take the final call on Kerala’s next Chief Minister after an extensive round of discussions with state leaders in Delhi. "The meeting went on for four hours. It was a good meeting. All leaders expressed their opinions to the Congress president as well as Rahul Gandhi. Our high command will make a decision," he said.

When asked about speculation surrounding his own name for the chief minister's post, Chennithala said all possible contenders were discussed during the meeting.
"Everyone's name was discussed," he said.

Following the Congress leadership meeting on Kerala government formation, party leader Deepa Dasmunsi appealed to workers to refrain from unruly behaviour amid the ongoing chief ministerial deliberations.

"For the last two-three days, there were some overenthusiastic workers and some unruly incidents happened in Kerala. People have given us a landslide majority, and those unruly incidents are not our Congress culture. So, we are requesting all the workers to stop this kind of activity," she said.

After the Congress high command meeting on Kerala leadership concluded in Delhi on Friday, party leader Deepa Dasmunsi said extensive discussions were held with the top leadership and a final decision on the next Chief Minister would be announced soon.

"Today, from 4 pm till now, we had a long discussion. Each of us spoke to party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. Individually we also spoke and they gaven their guidance. Very soon, I think in due time we will get the final decision by our high command, and we are waiting for that," she said while speaking to reporters after the meeting. 

Outgoing Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan arrived at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Friday evening to depart for New Delhi. The senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader is travelling to the national capital to attend the party's Polit Bureau meeting.

The Congress holds 63 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, while key ally Indian Union Muslim League has 22 MLAs, making the views of alliance partners significant in the leadership decision. The Kerala Congress secured eight seats, while the Revolutionary Socialist Party won three. Together, the UDF alliance has crossed the two-thirds mark with 102 seats in the Assembly.

The crucial Congress high command meeting to decide Kerala's next Chief Minister concluded on Friday evening after hours of intense deliberations at 10 Rajaji Marg in New Delhi. The meeting, which began around 4 pm, lasted for over two-and-a-half hours and involved detailed discussions among the party's top leadership on evolving political equations within the Congress and the UDF alliance.

Senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Ajay Maken and other Kerala Congress leaders attended the discussions.

(With inputs from Rahul Gautam.)

The Congress high command's meeting to decide Kerala's next Chief Minister continued for over two-and-a-half hours on Friday evening, with deliberations still underway at 10 Rajaji Marg in New Delhi. The meeting, which began around 4 pm, is focused on building a consensus among the party’s top contenders for the post, including KC Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala and VD Satheesan.

Sources said the Congress leadership is attempting to arrive at a unanimous decision before formally announcing the next Chief Minister of Kerala.

(With inputs from Rahul Gautam.)

Congress leader Chandy Oommen on Saturday expressed hope that the party would announce Kerala's next Chief Minister later in the day.

"We hope the Chief Minister is declared today... We want to stand with the people for the development of the state. Development is the only cause for which we should fight... We need to revive Kerala's economy... I hope that in the next five years we will work towards the regeneration of this state's economy... Whoever the CM will be, he'll be another legend," he said while speaking to news agency ANI.

Senior Congress leaders on Friday began arriving at 10 Rajaji Marg in New Delhi as crucial discussions over the next Kerala Chief Minister gathered pace. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunny Joseph was among the first leaders to reach the venue. Congress leader Ajay Maken and senior party functionary K C Venugopal also arrived for the meeting.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi later reached the venue as the Congress high command initiated deliberations to finalise the leadership in Kerala.

Congress leader KC Venugopal has emerged as the frontrunner in the race for Kerala Chief Minister, securing the backing of a majority of the party’s MLAs, sources told India Today TV. Among the 63 legislators in the Congress-led UDF camp, around 45 are understood to have extended their support to Venugopal, including Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunny Joseph.

Sources said senior Congress leader V D Satheesan has received the least support among MLAs, with even some legislators expected to back him shifting their support to Venugopal. Veteran Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala is learnt to have secured the second-highest support among legislators.

The power equation in Kerala has become more complicated with alliance partners of the Congress-led UDF, particularly the Indian Union Muslim League, are reportedly backing VD Satheesan for the chief minister's post. Sources told India Today TV that alliance leaders conveyed to the Congress observers that there was strong public sentiment in favour of Satheesan, with party supporters staging protests and expressing outrage over the possibility of him being overlooked.

Satheesan has also informed the observers that if he is not chosen as chief minister, he will stay out of the cabinet and continue only as an MLA, sources added.

(With inputs from Shibimol KG.)

The Congress high command on Friday began crucial deliberations to pick Kerala’s next Chief Minister, with senior leaders and AICC observers weighing competing claims of legislative backing, alliance considerations and public sentiment within the United Democratic Front (UDF).

According to sources, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal has emerged as the frontrunner with the support of a majority of the party MLAs. Of the Congress-led UDF's 63 legislators, around 45 are understood to have backed him, including Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunny Joseph.

(With inputs from Shibimol KG.)

Kerala Congress chief Sunny Joseph, along with party leaders Ajay Maken and KC Venugopal have reached 10, Rajaji Marg for the crucial meeting to decide the formation of the next Kerala government. 

The Congress High Command is set to hold a crucial meeting with Kerala leaders at 4 pm today amid mounting speculation over the party’s chief ministerial pick following the UDF’s sweeping Assembly poll victory.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunny Joseph said the final announcement would be made by the party leadership after completing internal democratic processes.

Senior Congress leader V D Satheesan arrived in Delhi ahead of the meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The meeting comes amid intense lobbying within the party, with supporters of Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and K C Venugopal backing their respective leaders for the chief minister’s post.

The Congress high command is likely to take a final decision on Kerala’s next chief minister within 24 hours, senior leader K Muraleedharan said on Saturday amid intense lobbying within the party following the UDF’s sweeping Assembly poll victory.

Supporters of senior Congress leaders V D Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and K C Venugopal have stepped up public campaigns across the state, putting up flex boards, posters and organising demonstrations backing their preferred candidates for the top post. Read full story here