The decision on who will be the Kerala chief minister is likely to be announced by May 10, following the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on Thursday.
Senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan told reporters after the CLP meeting that the decision would be taken by Sunday. During the CLP meeting, the senior leaders and the party members gave their opinions to the observers.
UDF won 102 seats in the Assembly polls, and Congress has 63 MLAs who give their opinion to AICC observers to select the CM.
The CLP has passed a resolution authorising the party's high command to decide the next CM. Based on the meeting held in Thiruvanathapuram, the observers will file a report to the Congress national leadership, who will take a final call.
Presently, Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala and MP K.C. Venugopal are being considered for the CM post.
According to reports, Satheesan may stay out of the ministry if denied the CM post. He has decided to remain only an MLA if he is not made chief minister and may choose not to be part of the new ministry. He had also placed his views before the AICC observers, Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken.
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Congress MP Jebi Mather on Thursday said the ongoing CLP process in Kerala reflected the party's internal democracy, asserting that no decision was being imposed on anyone. She added that the feedback from legislators and senior leaders would be considered before the party high command takes a final call on the chief ministerial candidate.
Congress MP K. Suresh said the appointment of observers was part of the standard procedure followed by the Congress high command after elections, including in Kerala.
There have been reports that a majority of MLAs are backing MP K. C. Venugopal, who did not contest the Assembly elections.
Several other MLAs, including M. Liju, Ramesh Pisharody, V. T. Balram and T Siddique, also declined to reveal their preferences publicly. They maintained that the party leadership would take an appropriate decision.