The race for the highest office in Kerala has reached its most decisive stage. After days of speculation over who could be the next chief minister, Kerala is expected to get its name for the top job today, more than a week after the assembly election results were announced. The United Democratic Front, led by the Congress Party, achieved a landslide victory, winning 102 seats out of 140, ending a decade of rule by the Left Democratic Front.
Now, after much discussion and deliberation, Congress is set to announce the name today. Among the top contenders are senior leaders Ramesh Chennithala, V D Sathisan and AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal.
Read also: KC Venugopal surges ahead in Kerala CM race: 7/10 support in Rahul Gandhi main meet
Several Congress leaders from Kerala, including five former presidents of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), a United Democratic Front convener, a KPCC disciplinary committee chairman and three KPCC working presidents, met Rahul Gandhi yesterday to discuss and select the chief minister of Kerala. Follow live updates here
Congress MP KC Venugopal is currently the front-runner for the post, as he was supported by seven leaders, while two leaders – K Muralidharan and VM Sudheeran – supported VD Satheesan, and one leader remained neutral.
Who is KC Venugopal?
Known as one of Rahul Gandhi’s closest confidants, KC Venugopal has emerged as a key figure in the Congress party leadership under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. As the party prepares to return to power in Kerala, it is now seen as the strongest contender for the chief minister’s post.
Born in Kannur district in 1963, Venugopal entered politics through the student wing of the Congress. He went on to serve as president of the Kerala Students’ Union and later as state president of the Indian Youth Congress before making his electoral debut from Alappuzha constituency in 1996.
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Venugopal represented Alappuzha as an MLA for three consecutive terms between 1996 and 2009. During Oommen Chandy’s tenure, he served as the Tourism Minister of Kerala before shifting to national politics. He later won the Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat in both 2009 and 2014, and was appointed to the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance government as a junior minister, where he held positions including energy and civil aviation.
Within the Congress organisation, Venugopal currently holds the position of General Secretary (Organisation) of AICC – one of the most influential positions in the party. In his position, he oversees key organizational matters ranging from candidate selection and coalition management to internal discipline and membership motivations.
During the 2026 Kerala election campaign, PTI reported citing sources that Venugopal played a key role in bringing disaffected CPI(M) leaders from the then ruling LDF party to the Congress-led UDF camp.
Venugopal is often seen sitting next to Rahul Gandhi in Parliament and at major party meetings, and is widely viewed as one of the most trusted political strategists in the Congress leadership.
