Following the end of the Left Democratic Front’s rule after the Congress-led United Democratic Front emerged victorious in the Kerala Assembly elections, deliberations continue over the pick for the next chief minister.
As the Congress committee submitted its report on Friday, three candidates are in the race.
On Friday, two All India Congress Committee (AICC) observers, Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken, submitted a report to party president Mallikarjun Kharge, outlining the preferences of party MLAs for the Kerala CM post, HT reported earlier.
Who are the top candidates
According to the report, three candidates are likely, including the outgoing leader of opposition in Kerala assembly, VD Satheesan, former minister Ramesh Chennithala and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal.
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VD Satheesan
Satheesan took over as the leader of the opposition after defeats in 2016 and 2021. In 2024, under him, UDF won 18 of 20 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. As one of the prominent faces of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala politics, Satheesan has represented the Paravur constituency for multiple consecutive terms.
On Friday, pro-Satheesan supporters from Congress held demonstrations across Kerala demanding that he be made the next CM and allegedly tore down posters and flex boards of AICC leader K C Venugopal, PTI reported.
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KC Venugopal
Other than Satheesan, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal is another frontrunner to the post. Venugopal is a key candidate due to his proximity to the Congress leadership, since he played a key role in the 2026 campaign as an aid of Rahul Gandhi.
Prior to the election results, party leader Tariq Anwar hinted as party would choose Venugopal. Asked whether KC Venugopal can become CM despite not having contested in the Assembly polls, Anwar said that if the Congress general secretary was interested, he would have to undergo the requisite process.
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Ramesh Chennithala
A former home minister and Leader of the Opposition from 2016 to 2021, Chennithala comes with strong links to the party. In the 2026 assembly elections, Chennithala won from the Haripad seat for a sixth term.
The new Chief Minister will replace the outgoing Kerala Chief Minister and senior CPI(M) leader, Pinarayi Vijayan.
Earlier, Congress leader K Muraleedharan, who won from the Vattiyoorkavu Assembly constituency, said that the decision on the chief minister was likely to be made within two days of Saturday’s discussions.
He said the Congress had an established procedure for selecting the CM, under which the party high command takes a final decision after consulting MLAs and senior leaders.
People aware of the matter had told HT earlier that AICC IS working on finding a formula that will satisfy all three leaders to prevent an internal rebellion.
The UDF won 102 out of the 140 seats in the Assembly polls, while the LDF got 35 seats, and three were taken by the BJP.
