Who will be the next CM? High command talks cross one hour, signals point to K C

NEW DELHI: After days of intense speculation and political discussions, the Congress high command is expected to announce its decision on Kerala’s next Chief Minister soon. Crucial talks with senior party leaders have now crossed the one-hour mark. Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi is also attending the meeting.

K C Venugopal, V D Satheesan, Sunny Joseph, and Ramesh Chennithala are among those participating in the discussions. Reports suggest that if no decision is reached in this round of talks, the matter may be discussed again in the presence of Sonia Gandhi.

Kerala is now waiting to see who the high command will convince through these coordination talks. The Chief Minister’s post is likely to go to the leader who has the support of the largest number of MLAs. If that becomes the deciding factor, K C Venugopal is considered the leading contender, as 43 MLAs are said to have backed him.

There are also indications that the high command may choose not to consider the opinion of the Muslim League at this stage. The high command is also believed to view the public campaign in support of V D Satheesan as an issue of party discipline.