Kerala is yet to get a chief minister nine days after the assembly election results were announced on May 4. This comes even after a key meeting was held between Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday evening.
The Congress Legislature Party will meet on Thursday at 11 am to announce the chief minister. The frontrunners for the CM post in Kerala includes Ramesh Chennithala, V.D. Satheesan and K.C. Venugopal. The announcement is likely to include a formula that satisfies all three leaders.
The Congress top brass held intense discussions with the three leaders, the party's MLAs and MPs in the state, several senior party leaders including former KPCC chiefs as well as heads of Congress allies in the UDF.
Earlier, reports suggested that the decision could be delayed as Sonia Gandhi was unwell and had to be taken to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram for "routine check-ups".
Sources later said a decision would be taken based on the outcome of a crucial meeting between Rahul and Kharge. On Wednesday, Rahul drove down to Kharge's residence for the meeting, which lasted for 40 minutes. However, after the huddle, Jairam Ramesh, the AICC General Secretary in-charge of Communications, told media that the CM pick would be announced only on Thursday.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports on Wednesday suggested that Satheesan was finalised as Congress's pick for next Kerala chief minister. Congress workers gathered outside Satheesan's residence in Aluva as well as at KPCC headquarters Indira Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram and multiple district committee offices, awaiting the announcement of Satheesan as chief minister. However, after the Rahul-Kharge meeting, the Congress workers were asked to disperse from Indira Bhavan as the announcement was postponed.
Reports previously revealed that the high command earlier favoured Venugopal over Satheesan and Chennithala. Venugopal also enjoyed support of a majority of the MLAs, MPs and most of the senior Congress leaders in the state. But Satheesan, who was the Opposition Leader in the previous assembly, received support from UDF allies, ordinary Congress workers and the public. Also, Venugopal, who is an MP, will have to resign and contest for an assembly seat in six months if he is chosen as chief minister. However, Kerala's voters and Congress workers will have to wait for yet for a few more hours to find out who their next CM would be.
