Saturday has turned into the most important day for the Congress party as it moves closer to deciding who will become the next Chief Minister (CM) of Kerala. After the United Democratic Front (UDF) registered a strong victory in the state election, the focus has now shifted to Delhi, where the final decision-making process is underway.
The Congress leadership is holding its last round of discussions before announcing the name. Senior leaders from Kerala are expected to meet top decision-makers in the party, including Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress president, and Rahul Gandhi.
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From Kerala, key leaders such as VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, and KPCC president Sunny Joseph are part of the discussions.
Power struggle between two strong camps inside Congress
The race for the top post has mainly turned into a contest between two strong camps within the party. On one side is AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, who has emerged with strong backing from legislators. On the other side is VD Satheesan, who played a key role in leading the Congress campaign against the Left government led by Pinarayi Vijayan.
According to party sources, Venugopal has the support of around 47 out of 63 Congress MLAs in Kerala. These legislators have told party observers that his organisational control at the national level and his influence within the Kerala party structure make him a suitable choice for the CM post.
However, Satheesan’s camp points to a different form of support: public backing. His supporters argue that he led the election fight from the front and should therefore be given the top position. They have been active across Kerala, organising protests, torchlight marches, and slogan campaigns, all demanding that the leader of the campaign should now lead the government.
Party discomfort over public pressure and alliance signals
While Satheesan’s support base has grown on the ground, the Congress leadership is reportedly uneasy about the nature of the public campaigns. The high command feels that the protests in favour of VD Satheesan are crossing internal discipline limits. Senior leaders are expected to raise this issue during Saturday’s meeting in Delhi.
There is also concern that such visible demonstrations could be seen as a challenge to the authority of the central leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. This has made the decision-making process more sensitive.
At the same time, the Indian Union Muslim League, an important ally within the UDF, has also entered the discussion. The leadership under Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal has communicated its preference for Satheesan to the Congress leadership.
The League has made it clear that ignoring public sentiment in Kerala could have consequences for the alliance’s future coordination.
Chennithala emerges as possible middle path amid deep divide
As the internal split between Venugopal and Satheesan continues, Ramesh Chennithala is being discussed as a possible compromise candidate. His supporters believe that his long experience in Kerala politics and his senior position in the party could help reduce tension between competing groups.
If the Congress leadership is unable to bring both camps to agreement, Chennithala could be considered as a neutral choice to maintain balance within the party structure.
At the same time, internal reports prepared by Congress observers who studied the situation in Kerala describe the political atmosphere as complicated. These reports note that while Satheesan enjoys strong public visibility and emotional support, Venugopal has a clear numerical advantage among legislators.
Because of this divided picture, leadership is now considering whether power-sharing arrangement could help. This may include distributing key government departments and organisational roles among different leaders to avoid conflict after the announcement.
Despite all discussions, no final decision has been made yet for Kerala CM.