Satheesan or Venugopal? Congress to end Kerala CM suspense today; announcement likely after 1 pm
The suspense over the party's pick is expected to end today, 10 days after the assembly elections results were declared. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won over two-thirds majority in the Kerala Assembly polls.
The Congress party will announce its chief ministerial pick in Kerala today, 14 May, ending days of suspense, intense lobbying and marathon discussions.
The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting is scheduled to be held at the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) headquarters on Thursday afternoon to elect its leader, KPCC chief Sunny Joseph said in a statement on Wednesday. The meeting will be held at 1 pm today, he said.
After an almost 40-minute meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge at the latter's residence on Wednesday, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the party would announce the next Kerala chief minister on 14 May as the high command completed all discussions in this regard.
The suspense over the party's pick is expected to end today, 10 days after the assembly election results were announced. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) had won over two-thirds majority in the Kerala Assembly polls.
"As authorised by the members of the CLP in Kerala, the high command of the Congress has completed all discussions, and the decision on who the next chief minister of Kerala will be announced tomorrow," Ramesh told reporters in the national capital.
Satheesan or Venugopal – Who will be Kerala CM?
The results were announced on 10 May. The Congress-led UDF won 102 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly. Since then, the Congress party has been engaged in prolonged consultations over the leadership issue amid lobbying by different camps and protests by workers at the ground level.
The term of the outgoing Kerala assembly expires on 23 May.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, and senior party leader Ramesh Chennithala are among the prominent names being considered for the post.
Congress's allies in the UDF favour Satheesan, who also enjoys strong support from the public as well as party workers on the ground. However, with the powerful AICC general secretary Venugopal throwing his hat in the ring, the choice has not been easy for the party high command.
On 12 May, Rahul Gandhi met former KPCC chiefs amid uncertainty over who would be Kerala's chief minister.
At least seven of the 10 leaders present at the meeting backed Venugopal as the next Kerala CM, according to a report in Hindustan Times. Sateeshan received the backing of two of the ten leaders, while one remained neutral.
Posters target Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad
The delay in naming the chief minister has also triggered criticism and visible discontent among Congress supporters in parts of the state, especially in Wayanad, where posters targeting Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the party high command appeared near the District Congress Committee office.
Rahul Gandhi had held separate discussions with several Kerala leaders and former state Congress chiefs in recent days to assess the political situation before the high command moved towards a final decision.
Kerala is the fourth state where the Congress will be in power. It has governments in Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, and has recently joined hands with the ruling TVK in Tamil Nadu.
(With agency inputs)
- The Congress party won majority in the Kerala Assembly elections, highlighting its strong position in the state.
- Intense lobbying and discussions within the party reflect the complexities of leadership selection in political parties.
- The delay in naming the Chief Minister has resulted in discontent among party supporters, indicating the importance of timely decision-making.
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
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