Race for Kerala CM intensifies as KC Venugopal edges ahead

After the resounding victory in the assembly polls, lobbying for the Chief Minister’s post is getting stronger in the Congress in Kerala, with three distinct factions aggressively staking their claim.

With no pre-announced chief ministerial face during the campaign, three heavyweight leaders in the party are actively lobbying for the top post. AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, Opposition leader in the outgoing assembly VD Satheesan, and former KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala are the top contenders for the Chief Minister’s post.

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While the KC Venugopal camp is asserting its right to the top office, claiming the backing of a majority of newly elected Congress MLAs, supporters of VD Satheesan argue he should lead the government, pointing to his strong performance and widespread popularity as the opposition leader in the outgoing assembly. Veteran leader Ramesh Chennithala’s camp is seeking the position based on his extensive experience and seniority within the party ranks.

The Ramesh Chennithala faction argues that seniority should be given priority while selecting the Chief Minister. Ramesh Chennithala holds the highest seniority among all the chief ministerial aspirants. Speaking to a Malayalam media, Chennithala has stated that in 2011, he had suggested the name of Oommen Chandy for CM, considering his seniority. He is signalling that because he once respected seniority to maintain party unity, the same criterion should now apply to him.

It has been reported that KPCC working president A P Anilkumar and Muvattupuzha MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan proposed Venugopal’s name to the high command. K C Venugopal staked his claim to the Chief Minister’s post, asserting the support of 47 Congress MLA-designates.

Sources said of the 63 newly elected MLAs, KC Venugopal has the support of 47. While Satheesan has the backing of 10, Ramesh Chennithala has the support of six.

The VD Satheesan camp is trying to bring the MLAs who are with KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala to their side. The Satheesan camp also demanded that the general secretary in charge of the state, Deepadas Munshi, be excluded during the meeting between the MLAs and the observers. The Satheesan camp is raising the argument that the MLAs will be influenced if Deepadas Munshi is present in the meeting with the observers.

In this connection, some Congress leaders are of the view that elevating KC Venugopal over VD Satheesan risks creating a severe disconnect between the high command and the party’s cadre. Because grassroots workers view Satheesan as the primary architect of the UDF’s 2026 victory, bypassing him could undermine local party morale and disrupt the administrative momentum of the new government.

Venugopal’s organisational experience, backing of the majority of the newly elected MLAs and proximity to the national leadership give him a clear edge, as of now.

According to reports, the observers will arrive in Thiruvananthapuram on May 7. The observers will meet newly elected legislators individually to gauge their views on the next leader of the party. Deepadas Munsi may also be part of the team.

After one-to-one meetings with the legislators, the Congress Legislature Party meeting is likely to be convened.

Congress leaders indicated that the legislature party meeting may pass a resolution authorising the AICC president to take the final call regarding the CM.