New Delhi: Days after securing a massive victory in the Kerala Assembly elections, Congress His choice for the post of Chief Minister has not been finalized yet.Three senior leaders are in the race – VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and KC Venugopal. All three were in Delhi till Saturday and the Congress high command continued holding meetings throughout the week. A final decision is expected within 24 hours.The last time the Congress was in power in Kerala, it was under Oommen Chandy, whose government ended in 2016. Chandy, who died in July 2024, is one of the most respected figures in Kerala Congress politics. It became even more shocking this week when a flex board bearing Venugopal’s image was torn down and black oil sprinkled on it by rival supporters.Who are the contenders?VD satisanVeteran Congress leader VD Satheesan is considered to be the frontrunner in the race for the post of Chief Minister. Satheesan, a five-time MLA from Paravur in Ernakulam district, has been vocal about his claim for the post, and the broader political mood in the state appears to be in his favour.UDF allies are also strongly supporting Satheesan and crediting him for leading the opposition campaign against the Left government.Congress leader KP Naushad also made a case for him. “VD Satheesan’s contribution as leader of the opposition and UDF president has been significant, making him a natural leader,” he said.Ramesh ChennithalaRamesh Chennithala is a senior leader whose experience is respected. However, he also led the UDF during its comprehensive defeat in the 2021 assembly elections – a setback that eventually led to Satheesan being replaced as the leader of the opposition.Reversing that decision now that Satheesan has won the election could raise uncomfortable questions within the party as to whether seniority is being given priority over performance.met chennithala Sonia Gandhi The discussions intensified in Delhi earlier this week. But memories of the 2021 defeat are weighing heavily on his prospects, with rival camps repeatedly reminding the high command of the defeat under his leadership.KC VenugopalCongress General Secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal has also emerged as a strong contender in the race for the post of Chief Minister of Kerala. Venugopal enjoys the trust of the party high command and in recent years has become one of Rahul Gandhi’s closest organizational aides.Apart from overseeing party affairs, he also handles floor coordination in Parliament and maintains communication with India Bloc allies.However, the question remains whether Rahul Gandhi can remove Venugopal from his current organizational role. Another factor working against him is that he did not contest the assembly elections.Legally, Venugopal can still become chief minister and enter the assembly through a by-election within six months. But Congress had earlier adopted a principled stand that no sitting MP would contest the assembly elections.Party sources told PTI that the final decision on whether an MP can be made the chief minister or not depends on the high command.Fourth name – Shashi Tharoor – has also come to the fore in Delhi circles, although he is still seen as a national figure rather than someone deeply involved in the state administration.KPCC issued notice to 15 leadersAmid growing tension over the leadership issue, Congress has initiated disciplinary proceedings against leaders who organized public demonstrations in support of Satheesan.KPCC issued show cause notices to around 15 leaders for allegedly disobeying the instructions of the high command.KPCC President sunny joseph He is understood to have submitted a report to AICC general secretary Dipa Dasmunshi, in which the party described as “gross indiscipline” by leaders organizing the protest march despite clear instructions from the AICC and KPCC.Those who received notices include KPCC member Chempajhanthi Anil and INTUC Thiruvananthapuram district president VR Prathapan. Others include Kaimanam Prabhakaran, T Sanaj, Attingal Unnikrishnan and Ambiraj. Some leaders of Idukki district have also received notice.Protests in support of Satheesan continued on Saturday also.Meanwhile, Congress workers across Kerala started removing flex boards and posters put up in support of Satheesan, Venugopal and Chennithala after the three leaders jointly appealed to supporters to end public campaigns linked to the chief ministerial selection.what will happen next Soon after the election results, Kerala Congress passed a resolution authorizing the high command to decide on the selection for the chief ministerial post. The decision now depends on the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership.Satheesan, Chennithala and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph flew to Delhi on Friday night. Venugopal, who lives in the capital, was already present there. Congress observers have submitted their report to party president Mallikarjun Kharge.Congress brainstorming sessionCongress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi held a brainstorming session on Saturday.The meeting was called by Kharge at his residence, where Rahul Gandhi, Dasmunshi, KC Venugopal and senior Kerala leaders Ramesh Chennithala and VD Satheesan, besides Kerala Congress unit chief Sunny Joseph and senior observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik were present.Sources said the party wants to avoid angering the leaders who have stayed out of the race and is trying to build a consensus. “Otherwise, the decision would have been announced by now,” a source said. During the discussions, Kharge and Rahul Gandhi also took advice from Sonia Gandhi.The top leadership is understood to have pulled up state leaders for allowing public campaigns to be conducted in favor of individual claimants.“Very soon, at the appropriate time, we will get our final decision from our high command,” AICC state in-charge general secretary Deepa Dasmunshi said.He said, “May 23 is the last day. I think in due time we will get the final decision from our high command and we are waiting for it. Appropriate action will be taken in due time. The final decision has to be taken by the high command.”