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Indian politics: After Congress win, Kerala's next CM post in tight 3-way race
Satheesan is groomed as next CM after leading UDF to victory; newly-elected legislators are pushing for Venugopal, who is close to Rahul Gandhi; senior leader Chennithala is also in the fray
- PUBLISHED: Thu 7 May 2026, 5:22 PM
After Congress dominated the state assembly elections in Kerala, it is now facing a formidable task of picking the next chief minister from among the three top contenders. They include V.D. Satheesan, who masterminded the party’s victory in the state; AICC general secretary and MP K.C. Venugopal; and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala.
The Congress legislative party on Thursday authorised the party high command to choose the next chief minister. “A one-line resolution was passed by the party asking the high command to take the decision on the CM’s post,” Saneesh Kumar Joseph, the spokesperson told reporters after the meeting in Thiruvananthapuram.
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The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has sent three observers, including Mukul Wasnik, Ajay Maken and Deepa Dasmunsi to the state to thresh out the issue. The three were busy throughout the day in meetings with the 63 legislators of the party in Kerala.
Many Congress workers in the state are backing Satheesan, who they feel is the right candidate for the top post. He also has the backing of the party’s key allies including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), and Kerala Congress (Joseph).
The United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Congress, emerged victorious, winning 102 seats in the 140-member strong assembly. The Left Democratic Front got only 35 seats.
Satheesan’s supporters are demanding that he be made the chief minister, after he led the UDF in the state for the past five years.
But many of the newly-elected legislators are pushing for Venugopal, who is close to Rahul Gandhi, to take the top post.
Mathew Kuzhalnadan, an MLA, told the media that the Congress has to decide on the chief minister, not other parties such as the IUML. “The Congress will decide the CM,” he said. “The mandate is due to the hard work of thousands of party workers. Success is not the magical work of a single person."
Former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, who is also backing Venugopal, said the party has many good leaders, not just Satheesan. The conflicts in the party are also reflected in the posters appearing across the state, backing or opposing the three leaders.
