Uncertainty continues over the selection of the next Chief Minister of Kerala despite the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) securing a decisive majority of 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly elections held a week ago.
Although a meeting to finalise the Chief Ministerial candidate was held on Saturday at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi, attended by Rahul Gandhi, it failed to break the deadlock among the three main contenders — K.C. Venugopal, V.D. Satheesan, and Ramesh Chennithala.
AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal reportedly enjoys the support of a majority of the 63 Congress MLAs, while outgoing Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has strong backing from public sentiment as well as key UDF allies such as the Indian Union Muslim League.
Former state Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala’s camp is staking claim to the top post on the basis of his seniority and administrative experience.
The delay is partly being attributed to the central leadership’s displeasure over the “poster wars” and public demonstrations by rival factional supporters in Kerala. Rahul Gandhi reportedly cautioned party leaders that such public displays of infighting could damage the party’s massive electoral mandate.
The Congress high command has reportedly decided not to announce a Chief Ministerial candidate amid the prevailing tense atmosphere. Senior leaders were criticised for indulging in “petty politics” instead of focusing on party unity.
The leadership directed all factions to immediately stop street-level shows of strength and public campaigning. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge reportedly made it clear that the internal issues must first be resolved before any formal announcement is made.
Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are said to be unhappy with the “self-centred campaigns,” factional street battles, and public posturing by supporters of various leadership aspirants.
Reports suggest that while Rahul Gandhi criticised the overall situation, much of his displeasure was directed at Satheesan’s camp, whose supporters allegedly ran an extensive social media campaign projecting him as the next Chief Minister. Rahul Gandhi reportedly observed that such “unwarranted incidents” undermined the people’s mandate and cast doubts on the authority of the party high command.
Reports now indicate that the official announcement on Kerala’s next Chief Minister may not be made on Sunday either. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has reportedly left for Karnataka to attend the funeral of senior Congress leader and minister D. Sudhakar, leading to yet another delay in the decision-making process. His departure has postponed a scheduled follow-up meeting with Rahul Gandhi.
According to party sources, the Congress high command is now expected to take a final decision only after Kharge returns to New Delhi on Monday. The announcement is likely to be made after a comprehensive assessment of the political situation in Kerala in the presence of senior leaders, including Sonia Gandhi.