The Congress is expected to name its candidate for Chief Minister of Kerala , ending more than a week of uncertainty following the state assembly election results. Party leader Rahul Gandhi held a series of meetings on Tuesday with former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee presidents at Sonia Gandhi's residence in New Delhi.
The discussions aimed to gather views on the ground situation in the state and resolve the delay in choosing a leader for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government. After one of the meetings, senior leader K Muraleedharan said that the name of the next Chief Minister would be announced by Wednesday. Another former KPCC chief, VM Sudheeran, who met Rahul Gandhi late on Tuesday, said he had briefed the party leader on public sentiment in Kerala and expressed hope that the decision would reflect those views.
A formal announcement is expected today. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has returned to Delhi and is holding further talks with senior leaders.
Here are live updates on this big story:
Kerala Chief Minister Announcement: Rahul Gandhi Meets M Kharge
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi met Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss the name of the next Kerala chief minister.
Kerala Chief Minister Announcement: BJP Attacks Congress Over Delay
The BJP has slammed the Congress for delaying the announcement of the name of the next chief minister.
"Unfortunately, the people of a state have given their mandate, yet even after so many days, they have not got a Chief Minister. The Congress is a party of indecision, and this is precisely why the public keeps them sitting at home," said BJP MP Brijmohan Agrawal.
All 3 Leaders Capable To Become Chief Minister: Congress MP Tariq Anwar
Congress MP Tariq Anwar said all the leaders in the chief ministerial race are capable politicians.
"The three leaders (K.C. Venugopal, V.D. Satheesan, and Ramesh Chennithala) are all capable, and whichever one is given responsibility will fulfil it properly. The high command is considering which of the three should be entrusted with this duty. Our leadership is working to arrive at one name," he said.
Decision Should Be Made Soon: Congress Leader
Congress leader VM Sudheeran said the decision should be made at the earliest.
"Yesterday, I discussed with Rahul Gandhi... We are also waiting... That (people's choice) is very clear... I have conveyed what I have studied and understood after observing Kerala's situation... The decision should be made at the earliest," he said.
Kerala Chief Minister Announcement: Rahul Gandhi To Meet Kharge Shortly
The Congress will hold a major meeting this evening to discuss the name of the next Kerala chief minister. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge will meet Rahul Gandhi at 5.30 pm today. This meeting is being seen as crucial for deciding the chief minister, and an announcement is likely afterwards.
