8 Days And Counting: Kerala Still Has No CM As Cong High Command Gropes In Dark

The selection of a leader after an electoral victory has long troubled Congress across the country. Decisions made after prolonged “consultations” have often triggered internal crises that eventually weakened the party in power — as seen in states such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Now, the Congress in Kerala, which returned to power after a decade, appears to be heading towards one of the worst crises in its recent history. More than a week after the victory, the party high command remains indecisive, with warring factions unwilling to relent. On the ground, allies, cadres and leaders have openly expressed frustration over what they see as the leadership’s procrastination in resolving the impasse.

After failing to arrive at a consensus, the Congress central leadership has now summoned former presidents and other senior leaders to New Delhi in an attempt to work out a formula acceptable to all the contenders. Leaders in New Delhi expressed confidence that a decision on the Chief Minister would be taken either today or tomorrow.

The delay in announcing the chief minister has also triggered resentment among the Congress allies within the UDF.

“Now, people who voted for us are ridiculing us. As elected representatives, we have to deal with several local issues every day. The indecisiveness of the Congress leadership is taking the sheen off the spectacular victory the UDF secured,” said P Abdul Hameed, a leader of the Indian Union Muslim League(IUML)

The IUML  is the second-largest constituent of the United Democratic Front, which stormed back to power after a decade.

The IUML is learnt to have backed V. D. Satheesan in the race for the Chief Minister’s post.

“We have conveyed our views to the Congress leadership,” said P. K. Kunhalikutty, senior leader, without divulging further details.

In 2021, when the Congress-led UDF lost power for a second consecutive term for the first time, the party opted for a generational shift by appointing the relatively younger V. D. Satheesan as Leader of the Opposition, replacing veteran leader Ramesh Chennithala. Since then, Satheesan has spearheaded the Congress’s attack against Pinarayi Vijayan both inside and outside the Assembly.

“There is no denying the fact that he energised Congress cadres and played a crucial role in the comeback,” said a Congress MLA from central Kerala, requesting anonymity.

During the run-up to the polls, one of the most contentious issues before the Congress was whether sitting MPs should be fielded in the assembly elections. After intense bargaining among factions, the party decided against nominating MPs. However, the principal contender for the Chief Minister’s post now is K. C. Venugopal, the party’s organisational general secretary and MP from Alappuzha.

In 2024, after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Alappuzha, Venugopal resigned his Rajya Sabha seat from Rajasthan, which was later won by the BJP. Those opposing his candidature argue that elevating him now would unnecessarily trigger two more elections.

“Venugopal will have to seek election to the state Assembly within six months, and he will also have to resign as MP, which would force another election,” said senior journalist P T Nasar.

Ramesh Chennithala is the senior-most among the Chief Ministerial contenders. A former Home Minister and president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, Chennithala’s supporters argue that experience should be a key factor in selecting the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, the camp led by V. D. Satheesan has launched a mass campaign, party workers and supporters have sent emails and messages to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi demanding that the leader who spearheaded the Opposition’s fight over the last five years be chosen for the top post.

The relentless tussle over the Chief Minister’s post has also forced some Congress MLAs to publicly vent their frustration. K. C. Mahesh, MLA from Karunagappally, minced no words in criticising the leadership for delaying a decision.

“Left members who had won by margins of over 50,000 votes have now been defeated. Victory is never permanent. Everybody should keep that in mind,” he said.

The Congress in Kerala has a long history of intense factional battles. Earlier, the party was sharply divided between camps led by K. Karunakaran and A. K. Antony. But the current situation has become more complicated, with three senior leaders now vying for the top post.

“Congress is a democratic party, and the decision regarding the Chief Minister should be taken after due consultation. The people who are now questioning the Congress leadership for not deciding on the Chief Minister had not raised the same question to the BJP when there was an inordinate delay in the selection of the Delhi Chief Minister,” said Chandy Oommen, MLA and son of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

P. C. Vishnunath, MLA, who is in Delhi for discussions, echoed a similar view, defending the delay in the selection process.

“The decision-making has not stretched as long as the media is making it out to be. After the results, the MLAs requested that the Congress Legislature Party meeting be held only after May 6, since they had to remain in their constituencies on May 5 and 6. Then, on May 7, the All-India Congress Committee observers met all the MLAs and leaders. The report was submitted on May 8,” he said, explaining the procedure behind the delay.

According to party insiders, K. C. Venugopal enjoys the support of a majority of the MLAs. However, several civil society activists and writers have written to the Congress central leadership urging it to appoint V. D. Satheesan as Chief Minister, arguing that he represents a new political culture and a generational shift within the party.

“If the leadership proceeds without taking the popular sentiment into account, it could end up repeating the mistakes it made in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh,” said a Congress leader opposed to the elevation of K. C. Venugopal as Chief Minister.

The delay in government formation is actually affecting the administration. Since the election was announced in the second week of March, there has not been any effective governance in the state. The election was held on the 9th of April, and the results were declared on the 4th. Even if the Chief Minister is selected in a day or two, the ministry formation may also take time, as a consensus has to be evolved among different power groups within the party.

In the election, Congress-led UDF have won 102 seats in the 140-member assembly, its biggest win in recent history.