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Kerala is expected to know the name of its next Chief Minister later on Wednesday, with indications that the Congress high command could announce its decision before noon.

The delay has kept the camps of three leading contenders on edge -- K C Venugopal, V D Satheesan and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala.

As deliberations continued, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) presidents in Delhi on Tuesday to seek their views and help break the prolonged deadlock.

Sources said leaders called to Delhi during the consultations expressed their opinions on the Chief Ministerial choice, with Venugopal, Satheesan and Chennithala emerging prominently in the discussions.

Former KPCC chief K Muraleedharan, after meeting Rahul 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 held detailed discussions with Rahul Gandhi regarding the political situation in Kerala and the public mood in the state. He expressed hope that the leadership would take a decision keeping public sentiment in mind.

Posters Target Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Even as the Congress leadership continued its internal consultations, posters targeting Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra appeared near the Wayanad District Congress Committee office, exposing growing tensions within the party.

The English-language posters warned that the people of Kerala would not forgive the Congress high command if K C Venugopal is chosen as Chief Minister.

One of the posters claimed that Wayanad would become “the next Amethi” if such a decision is taken. Another described Venugopal as “nothing more than a bag carrier of Rahul” and warned that protests would intensify if the leadership backed him for the post.

Some messages directly targeted Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, saying Kerala would not forgive their “foolish decisions”.

The posters also warned the Gandhi siblings to “forget Wayanad”, claiming they would not win from the constituency again if Venugopal is appointed Chief Minister.

Decision Pending Since UDF Victory

The decision on Kerala’s next Chief Minister has remained pending since May 4, when the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) secured 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, crossing the two-thirds majority mark in the state elections held last month.

The uncertainty has continued despite Congress observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik meeting party MLAs in Kerala and collecting their feedback.

The central leadership subsequently held discussions with the three main contenders, as well as KPCC president Sunny Joseph.

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