Kerala Congress Leadership Crisis: Uncertainty Reigns Six Days After Elections

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Six days into the five-state electoral battle, the question of who will lead the Congress government in Kerala remains unresolved. In West Bengal, the BJP has completed the swearing-in ceremony within days, while in Assam, the chief minister's name is almost finalised. In Kerala, the Congress alliance, which has a brute majority of 102 seats, is yet to agree on a name. Political analysts believe that the 2011 Assam factional fiasco is backfiring for the Congress, leading to a wave of uncertainty in the ruling dispensation. In this high-profile race for the chief minister's post, Venugopal is believed to be the front-runner with the support of 43 MLAs. Behind him is Satheesan with 35 MLAs, while Ramesh Chennithala is a distant third with 22 MLAs.