Day after verdict, rival camps in Cong lobby for Kerala chief minister chair

ADaytime after the Congress-led United popular face (UDF) swept the Kerala gathering polls, winning 102 of the say’s 140 seats, camps led by three senior Congress leaders—VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, and KC Venugopal—began hectic lobbying among newly elected party legislators to stake their claim for the chief minister’s post.Meanwhile, people familiar with the matter said the Congress is likely to send AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik and treasurer Ajay Maken to Kerala as observers for taking feedback from newly-elected MLAs to decide the legislative party leader, who effectively will become the CM.On Monday, the Congress-led UDF secured a decisive victory, winning 102 seats, while the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front won 35 seats. The BJP won three seats.Both Satheesan (61), the leader of the Opposition in the outgoing assembly, and Ramesh Chennithala (69), a former minister and ex-LoP, are seen as the prime contenders for the CM’s post after winning from their respective constituencies of Paravur and Haripad in the just-concluded polls. Also in the fray is Venugopal (63), AICC general secretary (organisation) and Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha, who has remained actively involved in party’s organisational affairs in Kerala since the 2024 general elections and commands a loyal faction within the party.Congress functionaries close to Chennithala cite his seniority in the state unit and his decades-long experience in the party and administrative roles to back his claim, while those close to Satheesan maintain that the UDF’s victory under his leadership makes him the front-runner for the top post.A Congress leader close to Chennithala, requesting anonymity, said: “He is the senior-most leader in the current state unit and has a wealth of experience in administrative matters. Though many of his juniors like Ashok Chavan (Maharashtra) and K Kiran Kumar Reddy (Andhra Pradesh) during the Youth Congress days went on to become chief ministers of their respective states, Chennithala hasn’t got the opportunity. This is his moment.”Chennithala has served as the president of Congress’ student and youth wings in Kerala. He has been an MLA six times, an MP six times and the home minister of Kerala between 2014 and 2016. Though he served as LoP in the assembly from between 2016 and 2021, he failed to bring the UDF to power in the 2021 assembly polls.The leader cited above claimed that Chennithala has the support of over 30 of 63 newly-elected Congress candidates.A leader close to Satheesan and who is engaged in lobbying efforts said the “landslide result” for the party makes Satheesan’s case for the top post “amply easier”.“Just as he (Satheesan) predicted, the UDF got 100+ seats. We have at least 25 MLAs in our favour. Also, we have the support of allies such as the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML),” the leader claimed.A former Congress MLA from Alappuzha said that though Satheesan can rightfully make a claim for the CM’s post as the face of the party for the last five years, the final call rests with the national leadership, who might give precedence to a more senior leader like Chennithala. “All the leaders who went on to become Congress chief ministers in Kerala served as ministers in past cabinets. Satheesan can be considered a newcomer,” the ex-MLA said.Venugopal, who is considered close to party national leadership, especially Rahul Gandhi, is also being seen as a possible CM face, even though he is not an MLA. However, in the camps led by Satheesan and Chennithala, Venugopal is seen more as the leader from Kerala overseeing the party’s affairs in Delhi.The Chennithala loyalist cited above questioned the logic of the AICC general secretary abandoning his national role within the party to come to Kerala when there are already eligible contenders for the CM’s post in the state.“…If he is nominated for the CM’s post in Kerala, two by-elections (one each for Lok Sabha and assembly) will have to be conducted. It’s unnecessary,” the functionary said.