New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram May 12 (IANS) After eight days of suspense, endless speculation and multiple rounds of closed-door negotiations, the Congress high command finally appears to be inching towards a decision on Kerala’s next Chief Minister, with senior leader K. Muraleedharan indicating that the long wait could end very soon.

A key meeting is going on in the residence of senior party leader Sonia Gandhi, with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also being present.

The forenoon session has ended, and in the late afternoon, Rahul Gandhi will meet former state party chief V.M. Sudheeran.

Emerging from discussions with the party leadership in Delhi, Muraleedharan, also a former state unit President, confidently told reporters that the announcement on the Chief Minister would come within a day, offering the clearest signal yet that the Congress leadership is preparing to break the deadlock that has overshadowed the UDF’s spectacular electoral victory.

The prolonged delay in naming the Chief Minister, despite the Congress-led UDF sweeping to power with 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, has increasingly become a source of embarrassment for the party.

Even state Congress chief Sunny Joseph publicly admitted that the uncertainty had cast a shadow over the alliance’s massive triumph.

At the heart of the intense power struggle are three senior leaders, K. C. Venugopal, V. D. Satheesan, and Ramesh Chennithala.

However, as the final round of consultations progresses, Venugopal continues to enjoy a decisive edge, backed reportedly by more than 50 Congress legislators.

The high command’s dilemma, however, goes beyond mere numbers.

While Venugopal is believed to enjoy the confidence of Rahul Gandhi and the central leadership, Satheesan has emerged as the sentimental favourite among party workers and a section of the public for his aggressive role as Leader of the Opposition against the Pinarayi Vijayan government.

Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi have all been actively involved in the consultations, while alliance partners too have begun expressing unease over the delay.

Kharge is returning to Delhi later in the day, and according to top sources, Rahul Gandhi will once again speak to the leaders of the allies and also veteran party leader and former Union Minister A.K. Antony before announcing the new chief minister.

–IANS

sg/vd