In the aftermath of a massive electoral victory for the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, the name of K.C. Venugopal, All India Congress Committee (General Secretary - Organisation), has once again moved to the centre of persistent conversations within the coalition. A trusted lieutenant of the party’s central leadership, Mr. Venugopal had, in fact, been spoken of as a potential Chief Ministerial face from the very outset of the Assembly election season, contingent on the Congress-led coalition returning to power in the State.

For a leader who has largely operated away from the glare of State-level politics in recent years, the renewed speculation marks an interesting turn. Hailing from Kannur, the 63-year-old leader cut his political teeth through student activism, rising through the ranks of the Kerala Students Union and later the Indian Youth Congress.