- By Shubham Bajpai
- Tue, 05 May 2026 08:24 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Kerala CM Race: Congress is engaged in a process to form the government in Kerala after the United Democratic Front (UDF) rose to power, ending the 10-year rule of outgoing CM Pinarayi Vijayan. The race has started among the senior leaders for the Chief Minister post.
The Congress has emerged as the strongest ever with a tally of 63 in a 140-member assembly. The UDF, as a whole, has won 102 seats, 31 more than the magic number to form the government.
Currently, three Congress leaders are the frontrunners for the CM post - LoP in 11th Kerala Assembly: VD Satheesan, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary KC Venugopal and former LoP Ramesh Chennithala.
Among the three leaders, only Satheesan and Chennithala contested the Assembly polls, while Venugopal is a Lok Sabha MP and didn’t contest.
Frontrunners and weigh behind their claims
VD Satheesan: As the final decision is yet to be taken on Kerala’s next CM, speculations are rife over Satheesan as a natural choice, given his grassroots reach, popularity amongst the workers, efforts in the elections and his effective role as the LoP.
What goes in Satheesan’s favour is the Indian Union Muslim League’s support. Congress alone is 8 seats short of a majority, and IUML is the second biggest ally in UDF, which has publicly stood behind Satheesan.
After the results, IUML president Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said, "As the Opposition Leader, he has discharged his role in an exemplary manner in the last five years. His Kerala yatra (which took place earlier this year) and the issues he had raised have been well accepted by the people. We hope the Congress high command will take a decision after considering such factors."
Ramesh Channithala: Channithala, on the other hand, is a seasoned leader with a strong organisational depth. Although the party lost under his leadership in 2021, his vast experience and supporters' base could push his claim to the top post.
In an interview with a private channel, Channithala indicated his interest in the CM post. He said that in 2021, the majority of MLAs were not a factor, as despite having the majority, he wasn't made the LoP. He added that he is a senior leader of the party and in the House, yet he didn't raise an objection back then.
"Nobody projected me as the chief minister in 2021. The party has to decide whether seniority is the criterion. The decision can be left to the high command. Or it can be decided by looking at the number of MLAs. The support of good MLAs will be obtained. We cannot make everyone a minister. The party will take a fair decision," Chennithala was quoted as saying.
KC Venugopal: KC Venugopal is also in the list of potential candidates for the CM post. He has been actively involved in the parliamentary and national politics and has strong connections with the Congress high command, particularly with Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. Venugopal is most likely bidding on that.
However, his selection to the top post would make Congress fight two byelections, one in the assembly for Venugopal's membership and the other for the Lok Sabha seat vacated by him. This has, reportedly, led to questions by some members of the party.