Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | KC, RC or VD? As state waits for new CM, Congress MLAs' choice leaked

AICC observer Mukul Wasnik was clicked holding on to a letter with choice of MLA's clearly written on it which grabbed the eyeballs of social media quickly.

As the suspense over who will become the next Kerala Chief Minister continues, the Congress party was in for a major embarrassment when the choice of the MLA-elect were leaked out in open.

It may be recalled that days after the Congress party-led UDF stormed back to power after a decade with a massive mandate in the Assembly elections, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) unanimously passed a resolution authorising its party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to decide as to who would become the Chief Minister.

Amidst intense lobbying among three senior Congress leaders -- K C Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala and V D Sateeshan -- for Kerala's Chief Minister post, AICC observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken took the views of party MLAs and UDF allies on the leadership choice, shifting the centre of activity to the high command.

However, Wasnik was clicked holding on to a letter with choice of MLAs clearly written on it which was published by a leading national daily.

The keyboard warriors were quick to pound on the gaffe, with one user asking how come Congress high command was sending such incompetent observers to break the deadlock.

This was a further embarrassment for Congress as a 'poster war' had already broken with supporters of Venugopal, Chennithala and Satheesan, having hit the streets and social media platforms extending support to their leaders across the state.

When Wasnik and Maken arrived to attend the CLP meeting and hold individual discussions with the party's 63 MLAs, six flex boards were installed near Indira Bhavan in support of Venugopal, who is a sitting MP from Alappuzha and did not contest the Assembly polls.

On one of Venugopal's flex boards in Thiruvananthapuram, grease oil was allegedly poured. On the other hand, demonstrations were held in support of Satheesan in various parts of the state.

Besides that, posters against Venugopal and in support of Satheesan appeared in Alappuzha and Irikkur in Kannur district.

Even though Chennithala is far behind in the 'poster war', the senior leader has supporters on social media who are vehemently demanding that he be elevated to the top job.

The term of the current Kerala Assembly ends on May 23 and the Congress high command is expected to announce the new CLP leader in a day or two.