Published May 12, 2026 | 6:06 PM ⚊ Updated May 12, 2026 | 6:06 PM
KC Venugopal, VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala
Synopsis: A resounding electoral victory after a decade in political wilderness in Kerala did not end Congress’s woes. Instead, it led to a stalemate over the selection of the chief minister, with three senior leaders contending for the top post. Deviating from its pre-poll stand of excluding sitting MPs from the list of candidates, the Congress now has KC Venugopal eyeing the chief ministerial post along with VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala. The continuing race, even eight days after the election results were announced, seems to have taken the sheen out of the Congress win in Kerala.
The Indian National Congress (INC) has registered a convincing victory in Kerala after a decade, but hasn’t had a minute to celebrate. What should have been a crowning moment of electoral victory has been drowned in the prolonged process of choosing a chief minister.
For over a week after the Congress-led UDF won 102 seats in Kerala’s 140-seat Legislative Assembly, the grand old party has been unable to decide on the chief minister. While Congress steered clear of giving tickets to sitting MPs in a bid to avoid friction, post-election, it is an MP who has emerged as the crowd’s favourite. Yet, Congress is still building a consensus and trying to assuage factions of other aspirants.
As per the rules, party MLAs should elect a Legislative party leader, who becomes the chief minister. Congress has been holding consultations with its MLAs-elect to arrive at a consensus candidate for the top job. With key leaders like VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, and KC Venugopal in the race, Congress’s job isn’t easy, especially when Venugopal is an MP who didn’t contest the polls.
Sources from AICC tell South First that an overwhelming majority of MLAs have backed Venugopal, currently serving as AICC General Secretary (Organisation) and considered a trusted lieutenant of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
“Forty-one out of 63 MLAs have chosen KC Venugopal while 10 more have said KCV (KC Venugopal) or others,” an AICC office bearer in charge of Kerala told South First. The leader has been sitting in on a consensus gathering process of the party.
One would imagine that an overwhelming majority in favour of a leader would be enough to elect him as the chief minister-designate. For the Congress, however, it isn’t as simple. The party’s decision may make or break its future poll prospects — from local body polls to Lok Sabha elections.
A senior Congress minister, who was given election responsibilities in Kerala, has a different take on the majority choice.
“One cannot deny that KC Venugopal was instrumental in deciding which aspirant would be given tickets to contest the polls. A lot of MLAs who have been elected now are those who received the B form from Venugopal. They feel indebted to KC. Satheesan may not have the popular support of MLAs, but he is a people’s man and enjoys popular support of the voters,” the minister said, pointing to the Congress’s conundrum.
It may be noteworthy that Venugopal was not part of the screening committee, but Satheesan was a part of it. The MP’s absence from the committee that decided the tickets, however, doesn’t offset his influence.
Venugopal is seen as a pillar of strength for the Congress, who has worked his way up. While Chennithala is understood to have been eliminated from the race, Venugopal is up against Satheesan—a regional satrap whose statewide yatra and high bypoll success rates are only an addition to his ability to work well with allies like the Indian Union Muslim League.
“Some of the MLAs have insisted that the party should not paradrop a chief minister and that one among the MLAs must be chosen,” another Congress leader said. The ‘paradrop’ was a reference to Venugopal, who is close to the AICC leadership.
Not wanting to make any mistakes, Congress is now consulting former Kerala unit presidents and other office-bearers for inputs on the better choice for the top job. The process has left aspirants, cadres and even allies restless, but the Congress leadership is keen on being careful.
Given Venugopal’s proximity to AICC’s top leaders, the party doesn’t want anyone attributing favouritism to whichever choice it makes and wants to ensure the choice has the full endorsement of its allies as well.
