Thiruvananthapuram: Following the victory in the Kerala Assembly elections, the tug-of-war within the Congress party for the chief minister’s post has intensified. V.D. Satheesan, K.C. Venugopal, and Ramesh Chennithala are leading the race, sparking a poster war among supporters. From the capital Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur, flex boards are being erected on the streets in support of their favorite leaders, while a heated debate is also raging among supporters on social media.
A three-way contest is underway within the party for the reins of power in Kerala. While a large group of MLAs is reportedly in favor of MP KC Venugopal, VD Satheesan is considered the preferred choice of United Democratic Front (UDF) allies. Meanwhile, supporters of Ramesh Chennithala are campaigning on digital platforms to make him the Chief Minister. The situation became even more tense when unidentified individuals threw grease oil on a poster of Venugopal in Thiruvananthapuram, which is being seen as a sign of factionalism.
At a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), all 63 newly elected MLAs passed a one-line resolution, leaving the final decision on the Chief Minister’s selection to the party’s top leadership, the Congress president. AICC observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken spoke with each MLA individually on Thursday to gather their opinions. The observers have submitted their detailed report, which includes a full account of the MLAs’ preferences and the ground realities, to the party high command in Delhi.
Senior party leader and MLA K. Muraleedharan described this entire development as part of the democratic process. He clarified that the Chief Minister will be selected based not on the size of a flex board or the social media hype, but on the opinions of MLAs and public sentiment. According to Muraleedharan, the ongoing deliberations within the party will soon conclude, and it is expected that the name of Kerala’s next Chief Minister will be officially announced by Sunday, after which the entire party will work together in unison.
