AICC Delays Kerala CM Announcement as Factional War Deepens; High Command Watching With Displeasure

New Delhi: The Congress High Command has postponed announcing the name of Kerala's Chief Minister as factional infighting between rival camps continues to spill into the streets, with AICC leadership expressing serious displeasure over the lack of discipline among the state's leaders. The understanding in Delhi is that no announcement will be made until the public bickering stops.

The three contenders — K C Venugopal, V D Satheesan, and Ramesh Chennithala — are each standing firm on their claim to the top post, putting the High Command in a bind. Both the A Group and the I Group are calculating that prolonged deliberations will ultimately work in their favour, operating under the firm belief that Venugopal will eventually be the High Command's nominee.

Satheesan's camp is reportedly anxious about damage to his carefully cultivated public image. Chennithala, while telling the media that he has spoken with the High Command and that the party will decide, is giving no indication of being willing to back down.

Sources indicate that the AICC leadership has set up a special mechanism to monitor the very public fighting among leaders and workers. Discontent is also building within party ranks over the leadership's prioritisation of power-sharing and group interests over people's issues. The factional war spreading to the streets is expected to deepen the Congress's crisis in the days ahead.