A day after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) swept the Kerala assembly polls, winning 102 of the state’s 140 seats, camps led by three senior Congress leaders—VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, and KC Venugopal—began hectic lobbying among newly elected party legislators to stake their claim for the chief minister’s post.
People familiar with the matter said the Congress is likely to send AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik and treasurer Ajay Maken to Kerala as observers for taking feedback from newly-elected MLAs to decide the legislative party leader, who effectively will become the CM.
Both Satheesan (61), the leader of the Opposition in the outgoing assembly, and Ramesh Chennithala (69), a former minister and ex-LoP, are seen as the prime contenders for the CM’s post after winning from their respective constituencies of Paravur and Haripad in the just-concluded polls.
Also in the fray is Venugopal (63), AICC general secretary (organisation) and Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha, who has remained actively involved in party’s organisational affairs in Kerala since the 2024 general elections and commands a loyal faction within the party.
