Congress Deliberates on Next Chief Minister for Kerala Following UDF Victory
In the wake of the United Democratic Front's (UDF) return to power in Kerala after a decade of Left Democratic Front (LDF) governance, the Congress leadership has not yet revealed the name of the next Chief Minister. However, sources indicated on Thursday that two senior leaders have emerged as potential candidates for the position. One of these candidates is K.C. Venugopal, a Member of Parliament from Alappuzha and also the General Secretary of Congress. Venugopal, who belongs to the Nair community, is considered a trusted ally of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
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The 63-year-old Venugopal has played a significant role within the organizational structure of Congress. According to sources, whether he will be appointed as the next Chief Minister depends largely on the Gandhi family's decision. Ramesh Chennithala is also among the potential candidates for the Chief Minister role. Like Venugopal, Chennithala hails from the Nair community and has previously served as Kerala's Home Minister and Leader of the Opposition. He has also held the position of President of the Kerala unit of Congress.
Sources suggest that Chennithala, who is in charge of Congress in Maharashtra, is regarded as an effective organizer. It will be intriguing to see if Chennithala, a four-time MP, is chosen as Kerala's next Chief Minister. The Congress party is expected to make a decision regarding the new Chief Minister by Sunday, as party leaders and legislators have already shared their opinions with AICC observers. Senior leader K. Muraleedharan, who won from Vattiyurkavu, stated on Thursday that he has expressed his views. The decision on who will be the Chief Minister is anticipated to be revealed by Sunday.
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In the recent Kerala Assembly elections, the UDF secured 102 seats, with Congress emerging as the largest party, winning 63 seats. Besides Congress, the coalition includes the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress (Jacob), Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI), Janadhipathy Suraksha Samiti (JSS), and several other parties. Among these, IUML won 22 seats, while KEK (J) and RMPI each secured one seat.