Kerala Government formation Updates: Congress High Command Calls Ex-KPCC Chief For Talks In Delhi

As the grand old party remained locked in a prolonged tussle over Kerala’s next CM, BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday took a sarcastic dig at it, triggering fresh political buzz around senior Congress leader KC Venugopal, one of the three contenders for the post.

Reacting to a seemingly sarcastic social media post by a netizen claiming that the Kerala BJP wanted Venugopal in the state while the national BJP preferred him in New Delhi, Chandrasekhar said on X: “My response: I will neither confirm nor deny that this is true.”

“Hilarious tough fight between Kerala BJP and national BJP. Kerala BJP wants KC Venugopal in Kerala. National BJP wants KC Venugopal in Delhi,” the post read on X.

A week after the Assembly poll results in Kerala gave a thumping majority to the United Democratic Front, the Congress leadership continues to grapple with government formation, while discussions continue as to who will be the next chief minister of the southern state.

To break the deadlock, sources said, the top leadership has now decided to hold discussions with former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) presidents before finalising the chief ministerial candidate.

Those who have been called by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to Delhi for discussions, likely on Tuesday, include M M Hassan, V M Sudheeran, Mullapally Ramachandran and K Muraleedharan, besides veteran leader and Kannur Lok Sabha MP K Sudhakaran, sources said.

CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan on Monday said that the decision on selecting the LoP in Kerala Assembly would be taken later in the state.

When asked whether there would be a Deputy Leader of Opposition, Govindan said that too would be decided in Kerala. He said matters related to the Leader of Opposition and Deputy Leader of Opposition were not discussed at the Polit Bureau meeting.

IUML, a key constituent of the Congress-led UDF, on Monday expressed displeasure over the delay in deciding Kerala’s next CM, warning that prolonged uncertainty could have political repercussions.

IUML Malappuram district general secretary P Abdul Hameed said the delay had already caused dissatisfaction among party workers and the public. “The decision has already been delayed. If it is prolonged further, there will be repercussions. We hope the AICC leadership realises this,” he told reporters.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has held talks with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over the selection of the Kerala Chief Minister, sources told News18.

The party high command is also expected to consult all former PCC presidents as part of the decision-making process. While K Sudhakaran is likely to arrive in Delhi tonight, senior leader AK Antony will be consulted over phone, sources added.

BJP leader V Muraleedharan on Monday criticised the Congress over the delay in government formation in Keralam, alleging that the party was more focused on power than public welfare.

“It shows the Congress does not care for the people of the state… It is a massive disrespect for the people of the state. Congress should apologise to the people of Keralam for creating such a situation. They will not be able to make decisions on many things. I am sure that this govt will not take more than a year for people to come out against them,” said Muraleedharan.

BJP MLA-elect V Muraleedharan criticised the Congress over the delay in government formation in Kerala, saying the party’s inability to unanimously decide on a Chief Minister reflected its disregard for the people of the state.

“It shows the Congress does not care for the people of the state. Even after getting a massive mandate, the Congress couldn’t come up with a name unanimously. It shows Congressmen are after power and not for the people,” he said. Muraleedharan further alleged that the Congress leadership at both the national and state levels had shown “massive disrespect” to the people of Kerala and said the party should apologise for the situation. He also claimed the government would struggle to take decisions and said people could turn against it within a year.