The Congress party is set to announce its chief ministerial candidate for Kerala on Thursday, concluding a period of suspense following its substantial victory in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections. After a nearly 40-minute meeting between Rahul Gandhi (Congress leader) and Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress president) in New Delhi, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh confirmed that discussions had been finalized. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) achieved a two-thirds majority in the elections, which were declared on May 4. Despite the victory, the party faced challenges in selecting a candidate for chief minister, leading to multiple discussions among senior leaders. State Congress chief Sunny Joseph indicated that the announcement could have occurred earlier but was delayed due to Sonia Gandhi's hospitalization. Key contenders for the chief minister position include K C Venugopal (AICC general secretary), V D Satheesan (Leader of Opposition), and Ramesh Chennithala (senior Congress leader).