Keralam CM post: Suspense continues as Congress leadership deliberates

Suspense continues over Keralam's next Chief Minister. Congress leader Joseph Vazhackan assured a 'good decision' that won't hurt anyone. Ramesh Chennithala, VD Satheesan, and KC Venugopal are the top contenders for the post.

Suspense Over Keralam CM Post

Congress leader Joseph Vazhackan on Thursday reached the residence of the senior party leader, and one of the top contenders for the next Keralam Chief Minister, Ramesh Chennithala, as the suspense for the state's top position continues.

'A Good Decision Will Come'

Speaking to the reporters, Joseph Vazhackan addressed the high stakes involved in the decision, assuring that a good decision, which does not hurt anyone, will be made by the party's leadership. Ramesh Chennithala, VD Satheesan and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal are the top contenders for the CM post. "Even if delayed, a good decision will come. When there is more than one person, a decision that does not hurt anyone will be made. That is probably why there was a slight delay in making the decision," he said.

Addressing the delay over the announcement, Vazhackan emphasised that the three top leaders are being considered for the post and the leadership is focused on not making any mistakes. "Taking 11 days to make a decision is not a very big delay. There were disputes in the CPIM, too, in the past. It is common in all parties. When there are three people on the same level, even the high command will take time to make a decision. When a decision is taken after discussing with everyone, there should not be any mistakes," he said.

Speaking about Ramesh Chennithala's position, Vazhackan said, "He is a senior leader and is eligible to become Chief Minister. Likewise, each person is saying they have their own eligibility. There is nothing wrong with that, but the high command has to make the decision."

Party to Meet Governor, Announcement Likely Today

Congress Keralam Committee will meet Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Thursday as the party is likely to announce the next Chief Minister of the state, after intense deliberations for more than a week, following the UDF's decisive mandate in the 2026 Assembly elections. The Congress state committee has been given the appointment to meet the governor today after they made the request. This comes even as the Congress is scheduled to announce the Chief Ministerial nominee today. A legislative party meeting has also been called by the Congress this afternoon.

As hectic parleys continued, this morning, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopla met with party leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, while the other two frontrunners, VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chenithala, were in Keralam.

UDF's Decisive Mandate

The results of Keralam Assembly elections were announced on May 4, and Congress has yet to make an announcement on the CM post. The United Democratic Front (UDF) emerged victorious in Keralam Assembly elections after comfortably crossing the majority mark of 71 seats in the 140-member House, a verdict widely seen as a decisive rejection of the decade-long rule of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and signals a major comeback for the Congress-led coalition. (ANI)

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