The Congress party is intensifying its consultations regarding the appointment of the next Chief Minister of Kerala, following its significant victory in the state assembly elections, where it secured 102 out of 140 seats. Senior leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, are actively involved in discussions with former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) presidents. Another round of meetings is scheduled to take place between 1 pm and 2 pm on Tuesday, aiming to finalize the candidate and ensure unity among party factions. Congress MLA-elect K Muraleedharan indicated that a decision would be reached within the next 48 hours. The potential candidates for the chief ministerial position include senior leader KC Venugopal, along with VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala. In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments on Congress, Muraleedharan emphasized that the party operates democratically and dismissed Modi's criticisms as irrelevant, given the limited success of his party in Kerala.