KC Venugopal "Way Ahead" In Kerala Chief Minister Race, Swearing In Next Week

KC Venugopal is "way ahead" in the race to be named the next chief minister of Kerala, Congress sources told NDTV Friday, after observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik submitted their report to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Maken and Wasnik said the final decision would be made by the party based on views from incoming lawmakers, alliance partners, and the public.

The party also wants to finalise the name as soon as possible, sources said.

Venugopal leads a shortlist of names that includes VD Satheesan, the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing House, and Ramesh Chennithala, a veteran with strong organisational support. The 63-year-old is the Congress' General Secretary and also the Lok Sabha member for Alappuzha, a seat he will be required to resign if picked as the next Kerala chief minister.

Party workers have openly projected Venugopal as the 'real architect' of the Congress-led United Democratic Front's win, with posters portraying him as the 'nayakan', 'hero', were displayed outside the office of the Congress and its youth wing.

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The swearing-in ceremony is expected on Monday and will likely be attended by Rahul Gandhi. Superstar actor Vijay - roiled in a government-formation battle of his own in Tamil Nadu, after a thumping win over the DMK last month - could also attend.

The Congress has moved to a post-poll alliance with Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam after contesting the Tamil Nadu election as rivals. In doing so, it ditched its long-time ally DMK. It won five seats in last month's election, which will give Vijay and the TVK 113 seats in a 234-member House. This will come down to 112 after Vijay resigns one of two seats he won.

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But that is not enough because the Tamil Nadu House majority is 118. Frantic backchannel talks involving the TVK, DMK and AIADMK, and a host of smaller parties who could tilt the scales one way or another have been going on for the past 96 hours.

Meanwhile, back in Kerala, the Congress faces no such problem. The UDF secured a big win in the 140 seat-House, picking up 63 on its own and 102 with allies like the Indian Union Muslim League (22) and Kerala Congress (seven).

Outgoing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's CPM-led Left Democratic Front got only 35.

Vijayan is also expected to be invited to the swearing-in ceremony.