AICC begins consultations with Kerala leaders in New Delhi to decide on Congress’ CM candidate

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, senior leader Sonia Gandhi, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge opened consultations with top leaders from Kerala in New Delhi on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) in a bid to clear the cloud of uncertainty over the party’s Chief Minister nominee for Kerala. 

Faced with a dwindling window of time to make the crucial and long-drawn-out decision, the high command, according to a party insider, is reportedly seeking bipartisan support of top leaders, including former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) presidents, to restore the period of organisational and alliance stability, which delivered the Congress the momentous win. 

The marathon meetings which unfolded at Ms. Gandhi’s residence in 10 Janpath reportedly weighed the chances of All India Congress Committee  general secretary K.C. Venugopal, reportedly backed by a significant number of Congress MLAs-elect; senior Congress leader V.D. Satheesan, projected by his camp as the architect of the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) historic win in Kerala; and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, touted by his supporters as having long organisational and administrative experience and support of powerful social organisations, who are the main contenders for the prime post. A KPCC insider said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, MP, was also party to the talks. 

K. Muraleedharan, former KPCC president and MLA-elect, who is an invitee to the AICC’s consultations in New Delhi, appeared not to rule out the possibility of a dark horse for the Chief Minister’s mantle. 

Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Mr Muraleedharan said the AICC’s consultation need not necessarily be confined to “three names”.  He said the era of the triumvirate of K. Karunakaran, A.K. Antony, and Oommen Chandy in the Congress in Kerala was over. “Second-tier leaders from the time of the three Chief Ministers have reached the top echelons of the party in Kerala. The generational shift gives the high command more latitude to make the right choice,” he added. 

Mr Muraleedharan stated that “numbers in the Congress Legislature Party were not the sole criterion for deciding the next Chief Minister.” He said the high command would also factor in “popular opinion” in the matter. 

When asked whether “importing a leader from New Delhi who is not an MLA-elect would risk a byelection,” Mr. Muraleedharan told reporters that the high command would “weigh all aspects.”  

He said said UDF allies, including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), would have a definite say in the selection for the Chief Minister’s post. “It’s UDF’s Chief Minister, not Congress’ alone,” he added. 

Senior leader and former Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan told reporters in New Delhi that the IUML, which reportedly named its choice for the post, would not take a maximalist position and would go by the high command’s decision.

Meanwhile, Left Democratic Front convener T.P. Ramakrishnan fended off questions about the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s Leader of the Opposition by stating that “let the Congress decide its Chief Minister.”