Kerala CM face delay: Congress divided over Satheesan, Venugopal and Chennithala
PTC Web Desk: Ten days after the Assembly election results, the Congress is still struggling to decide who will become Kerala’s next Chief Minister. The delay has triggered unrest within the party, with different groups openly backing separate leaders. Three names are currently at the centre of the discussion: KC Venugopal, VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala.
Senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, held discussions in Delhi on Tuesday with former Kerala Congress chiefs to find a solution. Amid the uncertainty, posters criticising the party leadership appeared outside the District Congress Committee office in Kerala. Most of the posters targeted Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi over reports that Venugopal may be the frontrunner for the top post.
One poster warned the Gandhi siblings that the people of Kerala would not forgive them if Venugopal was chosen. Another claimed that Wayanad could become the “next Amethi,” referring to Rahul Gandhi’s defeat in Uttar Pradesh in 2019.
The controversy has exposed deep divisions inside the Congress. While Venugopal is believed to enjoy the support of the Gandhi family, many party workers feel Satheesan and Chennithala played a bigger role in the UDF’s election victory.
Several MLAs are also said to have backed Venugopal before party observers, mainly because of his strong influence within the national leadership.
The continued delay has now become a major talking point in Kerala politics. Leaders within the Congress are divided over leadership and power-sharing, making it difficult for the party to arrive at a consensus.
The issue has also upset some allies in the United Democratic Front (UDF), especially the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). A section of IUML leaders has urged the Congress to end the uncertainty quickly, saying the delay is sending the wrong message to workers and voters after the alliance’s strong electoral performance.
Sensing an opportunity, both the BJP and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) have attacked the Congress over the situation. They accused the party of failing to decide on a leader despite receiving a clear mandate from the people of Kerala.
- With inputs from agencies
