NEW DELHI: Following the Congress-led LDF securing a majority in Kerala and poised to form the government after over a decade, attention has turned to the selection of the state’s next chief minister. Key names being discussed include prominent Kerala Congress leader V D Satheesan and Congress general secretary K C Venugopal. A document shared by the BJP’s Kerala unit suggests that a decision may already be in place.
The image, reportedly held by AICC observer Mukul Wasnik during Congress Legislature Party consultations, indicates that many legislators are backing Venugopal for the chief minister role. BJP Keralam shared the photograph on their official X account, stating, “The ink on the ballot isn’t even dry, and the Congress ‘Culture of Greed’ is already choking Keralam. While the state waits for governance, Congress ‘leaders’ are busy waging poster wars, leaking MLA lists, and counting heads for the CM chair.” The BJP further criticized the Congress, asserting that a party unable to choose a chief minister without conflict is unfit to govern the state.
Several MLAs, including Sandeep Varier, Sajeev Joseph, T O Mohanan, Sunny Joseph, Usha Vijayan, and T Siddique, were marked with the initials “KC” in the leaked list, suggesting support for Venugopal. Conversely, the initials “KC+RC” were noted next to I C Balakrishnan’s name, with “RC” thought to refer to senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, another contender for the chief minister position.
However, Uduma MLA K Neelakandan claimed that his preference was omitted from the list despite informing AICC observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken. “I saw the photograph. I do not know why my preference was not recorded. I have sent an email to AICC leaders Wasnik and Maken in this regard and lodged my complaint,” Neelakandan stated. He expressed concern that this omission could lead to “wrong impressions” about his engagement in the consultation process, although he refrained from revealing his choice for the post.
Currently, V D Satheesan, Venugopal, and Chennithala are viewed as the primary candidates for the chief ministership. The Congress holds 63 MLAs in the Assembly, while the United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a total of 102 seats in the 140-member House.
