Thiruvananthapuram: Amid continuing uncertainty over the Congress party’s chief ministerial choice in Kerala, state BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday stirred fresh political chatter with a sarcastic social media post targeting the Congress leadership tussle.

Responding to a post on X that mockingly claimed the Kerala BJP wanted senior Congress leader K C Venugopal to remain in Kerala while the national BJP preferred him in New Delhi, Chandrasekhar wrote: “My response: I will neither confirm nor deny that this is true.”

The original post shared by the BJP leader read: “Hilarious tough fight between Kerala BJP and national BJP. Kerala BJP wants KC Venugopal in Kerala. National BJP wants KC Venugopal in Delhi.”

The remark quickly gained traction on social media and added fuel to ongoing speculation surrounding the Congress high command’s prolonged delay in naming Kerala’s next chief minister.

Venugopal, currently the AICC general secretary (organisation), is among the three frontrunners for the top post along with senior Congress leaders V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala.

The Congress leadership has remained locked in intense internal consultations even two days after party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi held discussions in New Delhi with the three contenders.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunny Joseph and AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala Deepa Dasmunsi also attended the meeting.

Congress sources in Thiruvananthapuram indicated that a final decision is likely only after Kharge meets senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Party insiders also suggested that the high command was waiting for tempers to cool in Kerala following demonstrations and poster wars between supporters of Satheesan and Venugopal last week.

The delay has also triggered concern within the Indian Union Muslim League, a major ally in the Congress-led UDF.

IUML Malappuram district general secretary P Abdul Hameed warned that continued indecision could hurt the alliance politically.

“The decision has already been delayed. If it is prolonged further, there will be repercussions. We hope the AICC leadership realises this,” he told reporters.

Claiming that frustration was growing among workers and voters, Hameed said: “There is dissatisfaction everywhere. People are raising only this issue wherever we go, including marriage functions and funerals.”

He added that Kerala’s politically aware electorate would not accept prolonged uncertainty in leadership selection.

Meanwhile, a senior Congress leader, requesting anonymity, downplayed concerns over the delay, saying: “The Assembly expires only on May 23. So there is no hurry – why worry?”

Speaking after returning from New Delhi, Chennithala asserted that the party would collectively accept whatever decision the high command takes.

“We have conveyed to the high command whatever we had to say. They have heard everything. Now it is for them to decide,” he said.

Describing the delay as part of a democratic process, Chennithala added, “All the discussions have been completed. We are not taking as much time as the Left Front took last time.”

Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan also attempted to ease tensions by comparing the ongoing discussions to a train journey.

“There is no point in walking inside a moving train. The train has not yet reached the station. One can get down only after it reaches the station,” he told reporters.

“Sometimes, due to adverse weather conditions, a train may get delayed in reaching the station,” he added, while acknowledging public unease over the prolonged suspense.

The Congress emerged as the single largest party in the 140-member Kerala Assembly with 63 seats. Its allies — the IUML with 22 seats, the Kerala Congress (KEC) with eight and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) with three — helped the UDF secure a commanding tally of 102 seats, crossing the two-thirds majority mark comfortably.