Kerala is still waiting for its new chief minister, nearly 10 days after the assembly election results were announced. The Congress party is expected to announce its pick soon, after much discussion and deliberation. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has successfully passed a floor test in the state assembly, proving his majority with 144 votes.
The floor test was a crucial moment for Vijay, who had formed the government in Tamil Nadu after taking oath as chief minister. The test of strength became a stage for the widening internal rift in the AIADMK party, as a faction of the party decided to back Vijay despite warnings from the party's general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
In Kerala, several Congress leaders, including five former Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs, met Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday to discuss and pick a chief minister for the state. While seven leaders backed Congress MP KC Venugopal for the job, two leaders supported VD Satheesan, and one leader remained neutral. The party has not yet announced the name, but Kerala Congress chief Sunny Joseph said that 'white smoke can be expected soon', in reference to how a Pope is elected in the Vatican.
