Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 9: The Congress high command continued to discuss with the multiple contenders for the chief minister’s post in Kerala facing a tough task to arrive at a unanimous choice as none of the three most serious aspirants seemed prepared to concede grounds to others to resolve the impasse.
Amidst the continuing crisis, All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge held discussions with the major leaders in contention, such as K.C. Venugopal, V.D. Satheesan, and Ramesh Chennithala, along with KPCC president Sunny Joseph and other leaders on Saturday evening. The meeting is expected to result in a final decision on the crucial post.
A fourth name — Shashi Tharoor — the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, has also circulated mostly in Delhi circles, though he is widely seen as a figure of central politics rather than state administration so far.
According to sources, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to meet the Kerala leaders only after a consensus emerges from the meeting chaired by Mr Kharge.
Mr Kharge is expected to hold discussions with the Kerala leaders based on the report submitted by the AICC observers sent to the State. Mr Gandhi had instructed that any decision on the Chief Minister’s post should be taken only after taking the three prospective candidates into confidence, although the final decision rests with the Congress high command.
Formally, a decision rests entirely with the AICC leadership. At the state Congress Legislative Party meeting in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this week, all newly elected party MLAs passed a resolution authorising the high command to select the leader. AICC observer Mukul Wasnik, who attended the meeting alongside Ajay Maken, confirmed this.
Mr Kharge has directed the State leadership to take strict action against those violating party discipline and decorum in connection with the Chief Minister controversy in Kerala. The high command has conveyed that any attempt to tarnish the party’s image would not be tolerated.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph told the media that the final decision on the Chief Minister’s post would be made by the Congress high command and that the KPCC has no role in it. Seeking a broader consensus, Congress leader K. Muraleedharan said the views of the constituent parties in the United Democratic Front (UDF), along with the opinions of the MLAs, should be considered in the debate over the Chief Ministerial candidate. Rejecting the poster campaigns led by different factions, Mr Muraleedharan said flex boards and processions would not influence the selection of the Chief Minister and that seniority alone should not determine the choice.
Meanwhile, supporters of various factions put up widespread flex boards in several parts of the State on Saturday, including in Thiruvananthapuram, where posters opposing Mr Satheesan’s candidature appeared.
Flex boards supporting Mr Venugopal appeared in Mr Satheesan’s constituency as well. A protest was also staged in Malappuram, during which Mr Venugopal’s flex boards were defaced with spray paint. A flex board put up in front of the DCC office in the name of the Janakiya Munnani extended support for Mr Satheesan.
The last time Congress held power in Kerala was under Oommen Chandy, whose government ended in 2016. Chandy, who passed away in July 2024, remains perhaps the most revered figure in recent Kerala Congress history — which made it all the more jarring this week when a flex board bearing his image, alongside KC Venugopal’s, was torn down and doused in black oil by rival supporters.
The contest has spilled onto Kerala’s streets. Satheesan’s supporters held marches from Thiruvananthapuram’s Palayam Martyrs’ Memorial. Venugopal’s posters appeared along Trivandrum Road. Chennithala’s backers put up hoardings in Idukki.
The destruction of the Venugopal flex board triggered a furious response from senior leaders across the party. “People who destroyed the flexboard of Venugopal, which contained images of other leaders including Chandy, cannot be seen as part of Congress,” said Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan. PJ Kurien was equally blunt: “A chief minister cannot be decided through pressure tactics.” MLA T Siddique called the public attacks on senior leaders a source of “deep pain and disappointment,” adding that leaders who dedicated their lives to public service “should not be humiliated in public.”
Satheesan, Chennithala and Sunny Joseph flew to Delhi on Friday night. Venugopal, based in the capital, was already there. Congress observers submitted their report to party president Mallikarjun Kharge. Senior leader K Muraleedharan, speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, said a final decision was likely within 24 hours, while cautioning that “seniority is not the sole criterion” and that the views of coalition partners would also matter.”
