Republic Exclusive: Kerala CM Face Not Finalised Yet, Says Sunny Joseph After Kharge-Rahul Meet

The Congress high command is yet to take a final call on the next Chief Minister of Kerala, senior party leader Sunny Joseph told Republic in an exclusive telephonic conversation on Sunday, amid intense deliberations within the party over government formation in the state.

“I met with party president Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi in Delhi yesterday. All of us met them individually and I have conveyed my message to them. A decision on the Chief Minister face has not been taken yet, and the same shall be disclosed by the party high-command,” Sunny Joseph said.

No timeline communicated yet

The Kerala Congress chief further stated that no timeline has yet been communicated for the announcement of the new Chief Minister. “No definite time is conveyed regarding the announcement of Kerala's new Chief Minister. I have flown back to Kerala from Delhi yesterday. LoP V. D. Satheesan has also left for Kochi last night,” he added.

The Congress leadership held a crucial round of meetings in Delhi on Saturday to discuss government formation in Kerala following the United Democratic Front’s sweeping victory in the recently concluded Assembly elections. Senior leaders, including Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Satheesan, K. C. Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala, Deepa Dasmunshi and other central observers, participated in the discussions at Kharge’s residence.

Frontrunners in CM race

According to party sources, the Congress high command is attempting to build consensus amid growing lobbying within the Kerala unit over the chief ministerial face. Satheesan is widely viewed as a strong contender after spearheading the Congress-led UDF campaign in the state, while senior leaders Venugopal and Chennithala are also being seen as key names in the race for the top post.

The United Democratic Front secured a decisive mandate in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, ending the decade-long rule of the Left Democratic Front led by Pinarayi Vijayan. The Congress emerged as the single-largest party within the alliance, strengthening its position in the government formation process.

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