Thiruvananthapuram, May 13, 2026

After days of uncertainty and internal discussions, the Congress party is set to announce its chief ministerial candidate for Kerala on Thursday. The delay in the decision had triggered intense political speculation, with senior leaders holding multiple rounds of consultations in Delhi before arriving at a final choice.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front secured a major victory in the Kerala Assembly elections, bringing the party back to power after ten years. However, the suspense over the CM face continued as names like V.D. Satheesan, K.C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala remained at the centre of discussions within the party leadership.

According to party sources, top Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, were involved in the final round of talks to ensure consensus. The prolonged delay also sparked visible reactions from party workers and supporters, adding pressure on the leadership to conclude the process quickly.

With the official announcement now expected on Thursday, the Congress hopes to shift focus from internal debates to governance and preparations for forming the new government in Kerala.