In Kottayam, posters congratulating Congress Leader K C Venugopal were defaced with black paint, signalling growing friction within party ranks.
Congress Leader K C Venugopal’s posters get defaced with black paint in Kottayam.
A sharp internal tussle erupted within the Congress in Kerala following the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) sweeping return to power in the assembly elections, with the race to choose the next chief minister triggering open factional displays.
The Congress-led UDF secured a commanding 102 out of 140 Assembly seats, marking a historic comeback after a decade and reducing the Left Democratic Front to just 35 seats. However, the victory quickly gave way to infighting, as supporters of key politicians intensified their push for the top post.
A poster war broke out across the state, reflecting the deepening divisions. In Kottayam, posters congratulating Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal, describing him as “the one who sculpted victory”, were defaced with black paint, signalling growing friction within party ranks.
At the same time, large posters backing Venugopal also appeared along Trivandrum Road and outside the District Congress Committee office in Thiruvananthapuram, underscoring a parallel show of strength by his supporters.
The leadership battle has largely narrowed down to three senior figures who are V. D. Satheesan, K. C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala. Satheesan, widely credited with steering the party to one of its strongest electoral performances, is emerging as a leading contender, with visible grassroots backing.
Venugopal, meanwhile, is believed to have the support of a section of MLAs, adding complexity to the contest. Congress’s alliance partner, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), has acknowledged the sentiments among the party workers but has left the final decision to the party leadership.
The Congress has indicated that a decision on the chief ministerial face is likely within a week. Until then, the internal power struggle is expected to intensify, with more twists likely before Kerala gets its next chief minister.
Thiruvananthapuram, India, India
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