Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and All India Congress Committee (AICC) national president, Mallikarjun Kharge, opened consultations with top leaders from Kerala in New Delhi on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) in a bid to clear the lingering cloud of uncertainty that looms over the party’s Chief Minister-designate for Kerala. 

AICC general secretary, K.C. Venugopal, reportedly backed by a significant number of Congress’s MLA designates, former Leader of the Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, projected by his camp as the architect of United Democratic Front’s (UDF) historic win in Kerala, and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, touted by his supporters as having long organisational and administrative experience, and support of powerful social organisations, are the main contenders for the prime post. 

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

K. Muraleedharan, former KPCC president and MLA-designate, 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, 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 Legislative Party (CLP) 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. 

Mr. Muraleedharan 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. 

When asked whether importing a leader from New Delhi who is not an MLA-designate would risk a by-election, Mr. Muraleedharan told reporters that the High Command would “weigh all aspects”. 

Senior leader and former Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan told reporters in New Delhi that the IUML, which reportedly named their choice for the post, would not take a maximalist position and would go by the High Command’s decision. Mr. Radhakrishnan seemed not to rule out the possibility of the High Command pitching for a “compromise candidate” to reach a via media between the “opposing factions”. When asked whether he was in the reckoning, being the senior-most MLA-designate in the CLP, Mr. Radhakrishnan said: “I have no importance”.