Satheesan, Venugopal, Chennithala: Congress’ Musical Chairs In Kerala Has Just One Chair

Last Updated:May 10, 2026, 14:01 IST

AICC in-charge for Kerala Deepa Dasmunshi has said the Congress high command will decide "very soon" on who the party's chief minister would be.

Six days after the election verdict was announced for four states and Puducherry on May 4, two states have already sworn in their chief ministers, and two others have announced their CM-designate. But in “God’s Own Country", suspense continues over who will succeed Pinarayi Vijayan.

With the new Assembly required to be constituted before the May 23 deadline, the Congress still has the Congress high command has roughly two weeks to resolve a mounting internal crisis.

AICC in-charge for Kerala Deepa Dasmunshi has said the Congress high command will decide “very soon" on who the party’s chief minister would be. However, all have agreed that whatever the decision of the high command, it will be acceptable to all.

Congress leaders from Kerala have been making frequent trips to New Delhi to meet the party high command, even as their supporters flood the streets with posters and protests backing their preferred chief ministerial contenders. Amid the growing factional tussle, Rahul Gandhi has reportedly asked aspirants — V. D. Satheesan, K. C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala — to rein in their supporters and put an end to internal infighting.

The situation has turned into a catch-22 for the Congress, reminiscent of the power struggle in Karnataka between Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar after the party’s victory in 2023 assembly election.

The X-factor in Kerala, however, is Venugopal — the powerful Congress general secretary (organisation) and Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha — who has entered the race despite not contesting the Assembly elections. Considered among the most influential leaders in the party after Rahul Gandhi, Venugopal is believed to enjoy the support of around 43 newly elected Congress MLAs, according to inputs shared by central observers during a meeting at Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence on Saturday.

The final decision, however, rests with Rahul Gandhi, who must choose whether to send his close confidant back to Kerala politics or retain him at the national level to help steer the party through upcoming political challenges.

At the same time, the claims of Satheesan, the Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly, and former LoP Chennithala — considered close to Sonia Gandhi — remain strong. Both leaders command significant influence across Kerala.

The Congress’s ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), has openly backed Satheesan for the chief minister’s post. Chennithala’s supporters, meanwhile, argue that he had stepped aside in favour of Oommen Chandy during the last Congress-led government out of respect for seniority, and now deserves similar consideration. Chennithala is 69, while Satheesan is 61 and Venugopal 63.

Supporters of Satheesan counter that he played a pivotal role as Leader of Opposition in taking on the Left Democratic Front government and laying the groundwork for the defeat of Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF.

In the run-up to the elections, Kannur MP K. Sudhakaran was also keen to contest the Assembly polls, but was reportedly persuaded by the party leadership and former defence minister A. K. Antony to stay out of the race.

The Congress had taken a principled stand that no sitting MP would contest the Assembly elections. Whether an MP could still be picked as chief minister after the results is now a question the party high command will have to answer.

The Congress won 63 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly. Its allies — the IUML (22), Kerala Congress (8), and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (3) — helped the United Democratic Front secure 102 seats overall, comfortably crossing the two-thirds majority mark.

(with inputs from PTI)

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