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Kerala is likely to know the name of its next Chief Minister later on Wednesday, May 13, after nearly 10 days since the poll results.

The delay in the decision has kept the camps of three top contenders–AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala on edge.

As the Congress leadership continued discussions over the selection of Kerala’s next Chief Minister, party leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) presidents in Delhi to gather their views and help end the prolonged uncertainty.

A decision on the next Kerala chief minister has been pending since May 4, when the Congress-led UDF bagged 102 out of the 140 seats in the state polls held last month, more than a two-thirds majority.

The uncertainty continued even after party observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik met the Congress MLAs in Kerala and gathered their views, following which the central leadership held discussions with the three main contenders, as well as KPCC president Sunny Joseph.

The Congress has 63 MLAs in the 140-member Kerala Assembly. Its allies, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has 22, Kerala Congress (KEC) has eight, while the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) has three MLAs.

Sources said the Kerala leaders called to Delhi by the party leadership during crucial discussions on Tuesday expressed their views on the Chief Ministerial choice, with the names of Venugopal, Satheesan and Chennithala figuring prominently in the consultations as the high command continued its deliberations.

Former KPCC chief K Muraleedharan, after meeting Gandhi, said the party was expected to announce the Chief Minister’s name by Wednesday.

Another former state Congress president, V M Sudheeran, said he had a detailed discussion with Rahul on the political situation in Kerala and the public mood in the state. He said he hoped the party leadership would take a decision keeping the sentiments of the people in mind.

Posters targeting Rahul and Priyanka put up in Wayanad

Meanwhile, posters targeting Rahul and Priyanka have appeared in Wayanad, highlighting growing tensions within the party.

The English-language posters were put up near the Wayanad DCC office and warned that the people of Kerala would not forgive the high command if Venugopal is chosen for the Chief Minister’s post.

One of the posters also claimed that Wayanad would become “the next Amethi” if such a decision is taken.

The posters criticised Venugopal, calling him “nothing more than a bag carrier” of Rahul, and suggested that protests would intensify if he is backed by the party leadership.

Some of the messages also targeted Rahul and Priyanka directly, saying Kerala would not forgive their “foolish decisions”.

The posters further warned the Gandhi siblings to “forget Wayanad”, claiming they would not win from the constituency again.

Unable to face the public’s questions: IUML

On the other hand, patience appears to be running out for UDF coalition partner Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) over the delay in selecting the new Kerala CM, with more of its leaders saying they were unable to face the public’s questions on the issue.

IUML MLA elect from Tirur assembly, Kurukkoli Moideen, told reporters on Wednesday that wherever he goes, people, especially women, keep asking him why the chief minister selection was being delayed.

But more than the delay, the open differences within the Congress over the issue is the main problem, he said.

“It has become a big issue. Even Congress workers are disappointed. Even women are asking when will the CM be selected. I am sure all of this will be resolved as the Congress has a strong leadership,” he said.

A day ago, T V Ibrahim, the MLA elect from Kondotty assembly, had said that the delay in a decision by the Congress on who should be the CM has taken away the sheen from the UDF victory and is leaving its workers and MLAs unable to face the public.

Delay in CM selection shows ‘political uncertainty’: RSP

The RSP expressed strong displeasure with the delay in CM selection by the Congress, with the communist party’s MP N K Premachandran terming the situation as a “political uncertainty” which was “unfortunate”.

Premachandran told a TV channel that in the discussions with observers sent by the Congress, the RSP had clearly indicated its stand on the issue.

“After the people of Kerala granted such a huge mandate to the UDF, the political uncertainty in deciding a CM even after 10 days of declaration of the poll results is extremely unfortunate,” the RSP MP said.

He said that everywhere in Kerala the discussion was regarding the delay in CM selection within the UDF, at a time when there should have been a comprehensive analysis of the Left government’s anti-people policies during the last 10 years and the reasons for the LDF’s defeat.

He further said that now was the time to expose the conflict within the CPI(M) and the alleged illegalities and irregularities committed by the Left party.

However, the uncertainty and delay in CM selection has created discontent and disappointment among the workers and people at the grassroot level, Premachandran claimed.

Questions from party workers should not be treated as protests: Congress MP

Congress MP Benny Behanan on Wednesday said that everyone, including him, was waiting to know who would be the next Kerala CM, and queries regarding it from party workers should be seen as mere questions and not protests.

He made the statement while referring to an incident a day ago where some party workers had asked him about the chief minister selection issue at a wedding venue.

The Congress MP claimed that he was not stopped or obstructed by the party workers and it was only a friendly conversation that was misrepresented as some kind of protest.

Behanan told a TV channel that people and party workers will “obviously” want to know about the Congress decision regarding who would be the chief minister of Kerala.

“Not just them, even I am waiting to know who it will be. So, party workers will ask. But those questions are not a protest or an obstruction. Terming it as a protest or me being obstructed or stopped is the act of people with vested interests.” he said.

(With inputs from PTI.)