The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has summoned top leaders from Kerala to New Delhi, ostensibly to finalise the party’s choice for Chief Minister. 

Those attending the crucial meeting with the party’s high command include former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) presidents K. Sudhakaran, V.M. Sudheeran, K. Muraleedharan, and M.M. Hassan. Though former KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran too was invited, he told reporters that he had excused himself from the meeting and would not be a party to the talks. 

Mr. Muraleedharan told reporters that he had made his choice for the top post clear to AICC observers, who sought the opinion of the party’s MLA designates last week. “I will merely reiterate my stated position. The Congress high command’s decision will come within 48 hours. It will bring the curtains down on the endless leadership speculation with an emphatic, irrefutable finality,” he added.

Mr. Sudheeran said the closed-door meeting might involve in-person discussions with the high command comprising Rahul Gandhi and national president Mallikarjun Kharge, among others. “I will articulate my perspective on the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leadership question with political and organisational clarity,” he said.

Notably, Mr. Sudheeran demurred when asked whether he had any one leader among the three Chief Minister probables — V.D. Satheesan, K.C. Venugopal, and Ramesh Chennithala — in mind. “Mr. Satheesan himself has attributed the historic win to team United Democratic Front (UDF),” he added. 

Mr. Chennithaa told reporters that the endless social media drama over Congress’ likely Chief Minister would have no bearing on the high command’s final decision. He reiterated that the AICC had a set, time-tested template for selecting potential Chief Ministers.

A KPCC insider said the high command had initiated broad-based discussions with senior leaders and, supposedly, UDF leaders before finalising its choice for the Chief Minister’s post.

Meanwhile, the question of who among the “probable three” will make the cut as Congress’ Chief Minister seemed to roil the party’s State unit. Supposedly pro-Congress social media handles stoked speculation that the high command may consider a “new name” to strike a via media between opposing factions advocating for their respective leaders. 

The ongoing convulsions over the Chief Minister choice seemed unabated, with the Congress’ trade union, INTUC, wading into the dispute. INTUC leader R. Chandrasekhar appeared to object to Mr. Venugopal’s candidature, stating that an MLA-elect should be the party’s candidate for the top post.