NEW DELHI: Days after securing a massive victory in the Kerala assembly election, Congress is yet to finalize its pick for chief minister.Three senior leaders are in the race — VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and KC Venugopal. All three were in Delhi as of Saturday, with Congress high command holding meetings through the week. A final decision is expected within 24 hours.The last time Congress held power in Kerala was under Oommen Chandy, whose government ended in 2016. Chandy, who passed away in July 2024, remains one of the most revered figures in Kerala Congress politics. That made it all the more striking this week when a flex board carrying his image alongside Venugopal’s was torn down and splashed with black oil by rival supporters.Who are the contenders?V.D. SatheesanVeteran Congress leader VD Satheesan is widely seen as the frontrunner in the chief ministerial race. A five-time MLA from Paravur in Ernakulam district, Satheesan has been vocal about his claim to the post, and the broader political mood in the state appears to favor him.UDF allies are also strongly backing Satheesan, crediting him for leading the opposition campaign against Left government.Congress leader KP Noushad made the case for him as well. “VD Satheesan’s contribution has been significant as Leader of the Opposition and UDF chairman, making him naturally the frontrunner,” he said.Ramesh ChennithalaRamesh Chennithala remains a senior leader whose experience commands respect. However, he also led UDF during its comprehensive defeat in the 2021 assembly election — a setback that ultimately led to his replacement as Leader of the Opposition by Satheesan.Reversing that decision now, after Satheesan has delivered an electoral victory, could raise uncomfortable questions within the party over whether seniority is being prioritized over performance.Chennithala met Sonia Gandhi in Delhi earlier this week as consultations intensified. But the memory of the 2021 defeat continues to weigh on his prospects, with rival camps repeatedly reminding high command of the loss under his leadership.KC VenugopalCongress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal has also emerged as a strong contender in Kerala’s chief ministerial race. Venugopal enjoys the trust of party high command and has become one of Rahul Gandhi’s closest organizational aides in recent years.Besides overseeing party affairs, he also handles floor coordination in Parliament and maintains communication with INDIA bloc allies.However, questions remain over whether Rahul Gandhi can afford to spare Venugopal from his current organizational role. Another factor working against him is that he did not contest the assembly elections.Legally, Venugopal can still become chief minister and enter the assembly within six months through a bypoll. But Congress had earlier taken a principled stand that no sitting MP would contest the assembly election.Party sources told PTI that the final call on whether an MP can be made chief minister rests with high command.A fourth name Shashi Tharoor — has also surfaced in Delhi circles, though he is still largely viewed as a national figure rather than someone deeply involved in state administration.KPCC issues notices to 15 leadersAmid escalating tensions over the leadership issue, Congress has initiated disciplinary proceedings against leaders who organized public demonstrations in support of Satheesan.KPCC issued show-cause notices to around 15 leaders for allegedly defying directives from high command.KPCC president sunny joseph is learned to have submitted a report to AICC general secretary Deepa Dasmunshi highlighting what the party described as “serious indiscipline” by leaders who organized protest marches despite clear instructions from AICC and KPCC.Those served notices include KPCC member Chempazhanthy Anil and INTUC Thiruvananthapuram district president VR Prathapan. Others include Kaimanam Prabhakaran, T Sanaj, Attingal Unnikrishnan and Ambiraj. Some leaders from Idukki district have also received notices.Protests in support of Satheesan continued on Saturday.Meanwhile, Congress workers across Kerala began removing flex boards and posters put up in support of Satheesan, Venugopal and Chennithala after the three leaders jointly appealed to supporters to end public campaigns linked to the chief ministerial selection.What’s next Soon after the election results, Kerala Congress passed a resolution authorizing the high command to decide the chief ministerial pick. The decision now rests with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership.Satheesan, Chennithala and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph flew to Delhi on Friday night. Venugopal, who is based in the capital, was already there. Congress observers have submitted their report to party president Mallikarjun Kharge.Congress brainstorming sessionCongress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi held brainstorming sessions on Saturday.The meeting was convened by Kharge at his residence, where Rahul Gandhi, Dasmunshi, KC Venugopal, and senior Kerala leaders Ramesh Chennithala and VD Satheesan were present, besides Kerala Congress unit chief Sunny Joseph and senior observers, Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik.Sources said the party was keen to avoid displeasing leaders left out of the race and was trying to evolve a consensus. “Otherwise, the decision would have been announced by now,” a source said. Sonia Gandhi was also consulted by Kharge and Rahul Gandhi during the deliberations.Top leadership is also learned to have pulled up state leaders for allowing public campaigns in favor of individual contenders.AICC general secretary in-charge of the state Deepa Dasmunshi said, “Very soon, in due time, we will get our final decision by our high command,”“23rd May is the last day. I think in due time, we will get the final decision by our high command and we are waiting for that. In due time, the due course of action will be taken. The final decision has to be taken by the high command,” she said.
