- By Aditya Jha
- Thu, 14 May 2026 07:59 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Kerala CM Race: After days of suspense and brainstorming, the Congress will announce the name of Kerala's chief minister on Thursday. A 40-minute meeting was held between Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party senior leader Rahul Gandhi earlier on Wednesday. Jairam Ramesh, party general secretary, stated that the top brass has now concluded all the decisions, and an announcement is due today. The race for this post includes AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal and senior Kerala Congress leaders VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala.
Venugopal vs. Satheesan
As per multiple reports, a major section of the 63 newly elected MLAs has extended their support to KC Venugopal. Apart from this, the party general secretary has also received support from former Kerala Congress Committee members. For the past seven years, Venugopal has served as an advisor to Rahul Gandhi.
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However, Satheesan is backed by the local leaders and the cadre who believe that the outgoing leader of the opposition fought the battle to defeat the left forces. They argue that while Venugopal played a key role in national politics, it was Satheesan who raised the issues of Kerala. The allies, especially the IUML, have also extended their support to Satheesan.
Gandhis Face The Heat
Earlier on Wednesday, posters targeting Congress senior leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi appeared in Wayanad. The Congress party workers have also staged protests in multiple districts after reports suggested that the top brass might prefer Venugopal over Satheesan for the top post. The local leaders were also seen confronting the MLAs over their support for Venugopal.
The Congress-led UDF returned to power in Kerala after a decade by securing 102 of the total 140 constituencies. However, a delay in the name of the chief minister has led to division within the party.