As the Congress-led UDF has made a strong comeback in the Kerala Assembly elections, bringing an end to the decade-long rule of the LDF, focus has now shifted to one key question: Who will become Kerala’s next chief minister?
The Congress has so far remained cautious about naming a chief ministerial candidate, insisting that the mandate is for the party and alliance, not for any single leader.
Among the names being discussed, Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan is seen as a strong contender, with many within the party crediting him as one of the key architects of the UDF’s electoral resurgence.
Another senior leader in contention is Ramesh Chennithala, who brings both administrative and organisational experience. Following the party’s performance, Chennithala had said, "We had given a positive agenda to the people of Keralam. The five guarantees announced to the people of Keralam by Rahul Gandhi also helped us."
The name of K. C. Venugopal is also doing the rounds. Though he did not contest the election, Venugopal remains one of the most trusted leaders in the Congress leadership and is considered a close confidant of Rahul Gandhi.
Meanwhile, Shashi Tharoor has also emerged as a possible contender. However, Tharoor dismissed speculation and reiterated that the final decision would rest with the party high command.
He had said, "We don't want to discuss this topic right now. Let the election results come. Kharge Sahab, the Congress president, will send someone to speak with the winning MLAs. After that, they will give their opinion. Then the high command will decide."
When specifically asked about his own prospects of becoming chief minister, Tharoor had earlier said, "The answer is very clear. We have a standard practice in the Congress party. After the election results, the victorious MLAs will be met by an envoy or representative of the president of the party. That person will get the sense of what the MLAs want. He or she will go back to Delhi, speak to the high command and the high command will take that into account and make a final decision. Thereafter, they are not bound by any rules or limits. They can choose anything that they want. It's up to them to decide."
The party also put up a show of unity after the results, with Venugopal sharing a hug with Chennithala, state Congress chief Sunny Joseph and Tharoor at the party office in Thiruvananthapuram.
While several names are in contention, the final decision on Kerala’s next chief minister is expected to be taken by the party's high command after consultations with the newly elected MLAs.