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After 9 days of suspense, Congress now has CM pick for Kerala; announcement on Thursday
Asked whether the announcement would be made in Delhi or Kerala, he said, "Thursday the decision on the next chief minister of Kerala will be announced"
The Congress on Wednesday said it will announce its chief ministerial pick for Kerala on Thursday, ending days of suspense, intense discussions and marathon consultations within the party after the Congress-led UDF’s sweeping victory in the Assembly elections.
After an almost 40-minute meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at the latter’s residence in Delhi, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the discussions had concluded and the final decision would be announced tomorrow.
“As authorised by the members of the CLP in Kerala, the high command of Congress has completed all discussions. The decision on who the next CM of Kerala will be announced tomorrow,” Jairam Ramesh said.
Asked whether the announcement would be made in Delhi or Kerala, he said, "Tomorrow the decision on the next chief minister of Kerala will be announced".
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Why the 9-day delay in Kerala CM choice? Congress leader answers
This comes after state Congress chief Sunny Joseph hinted on Wednesday that the announcement could finally come later in the day, saying discussions within the party had concluded and only the final word from Delhi was awaited.
"We expect the Chief Minister's name to be announced today. It is understood that all discussions have been completed. We are waiting for the announcement today. Sonia Gandhi was in the hospital, so there could be a slight delay because of that. The Chief Minister's name will be announced from Delhi," Joseph said.
The Congress-led UDF had secured a two-thirds majority in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, the results of which were declared on May 4. However, the party has since been grappling with its choice for chief minister, holding multiple rounds of discussions with senior state leaders and former party chiefs.
AICC general secretary for organisation K C Venugopal, Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan, and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala are among the frontrunners for the post.
