Kerala CM impasse deepens: Posters, Delhi talks, Congress split exposed

As the suspense over the Chief Minister’s post enters its tenth day, a silent storm is brewing in Kerala. With the Congress witnessing intense churn and three camps emerging -- KC Venugopal, VD Satheesan, and Ramesh Chennithala -- Rahul Gandhi huddled with former state chiefs in Delhi on Tuesday to decide the right candidate.

By then, posters had already surfaced outside the District Congress Committee office in Wayanad, largely warning the Gandhis against backing Venugopal, who entered the CM race at the last moment after the results were declared.

“Mr Rahul and Priyanka, forget Wayanad. You won’t win again from here,” read one poster, while another read: “Mr Rahul, KC might be your bag bearer, but the people of Kerala will never forgive you.”

Yet one poster carried a dire warning, even though it claimed otherwise, which read: “RG (Rahul Gandhi) and PG (Priyanka Gandhi), this is not a warning. Kerala will never forgive you for this blunder.”

Reminding Rahul Gandhi of his loss from his family stronghold in Amethi in 2019, a second poster warned that Wayanad could turn into the “next Amethi.” A third stated that Kerala will not accept the “foolish decisions” of Rahul and Priyanka.

The Congress leadership is facing growing pressure to end the uncertainty over the chief ministerial post, even as the UDF has secured a decisive mandate in the recent Assembly elections. The delay in naming a leader has led to mounting concern within the party and among its allies.

Satheesan, Venugopal and Chennithala are understood to be among the main names being considered for the post. Intense consultations are continuing in New Delhi as the party works through the issue. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday said that, as authorised by the members of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) of Kerala, all discussions regarding the Chief Minister’s post have been completed and the name of the new CM will be announced on Thursday.

While Venugopal is ahead in the race, Chennithala and, in particular, Satheesan were considered the architects of the victory after winning their respective seats in the Assembly. However, given Venugopal’s clout and closeness to the Gandhis, a considerable number of legislators have reportedly proposed his name to the AICC observers to stay in his good books.

Even after Venugopal secured the support of a majority of the 63 MLAs, the Congress has had its work cut out, with UDF ally IUML’s (Indian Union Muslim League) backing Satheesan, who is the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party and also enjoys wide popular support.

Going with Venugopal for the state’s top post is also fraught with challenges. If and when that happens, it will trigger bypolls in two seats -- one for the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency he will vacate, and the other for the seat from which he will need to be elected as Chief Minister within six months of the date of appointment.

The prolonged wait has not only sparked strong debates within Congress over leadership and power-sharing arrangements, but has also ended up reportedly emboldening the rival camps within the party. Different factions in the party are backing different contenders for the chief ministership, adding to the uncertainty over the final decision.

The matter has also caused discomfort among UDF allies, especially the IUML. Some League leaders have publicly said that the continued indecision is sending the wrong message to the public as well as to alliance workers.

A section of IUML leaders recently asked the Congress to settle the issue without further delay, saying that prolonged uncertainty could weaken the momentum the alliance gained after its electoral victory.

With an internal storm brewing over CM pick, the BJP and the LDF have also pounced on the opportunity, attacking the Congress over the delay and accusing the party of failing to reach a consensus on leadership despite receiving a clear mandate from voters.