Ramesh Chennithala, a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and a contender for the Chief Minister position in Kerala, defended the party's democratic approach to selecting its new leader. Speaking in New Delhi, he criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its centralized decision-making, stating that Congress does not operate on directives from Nagpur, the BJP's headquarters. Chennithala noted that only five days had elapsed since the announcement of the Assembly election results, arguing that this is not an unreasonable delay for such an important decision. He pointed out that the Congress leadership has been in discussions with all relevant party members, including V.D. Satheesan and K.C. Venugopal, and will announce a decision soon. Chennithala also took a jab at the BJP, recalling that the party took around 50 days to announce its Chief Minister candidate in Delhi after the 2025 Assembly elections. He emphasized that Congress's decision-making process involves consultation and democratic means, contrasting it with the BJP's top-down approach led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. To maintain party unity, Kerala Congress leaders have urged party workers to refrain from protests related to the leadership selection.