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The veteran leader further emphasized that Congress has many capable senior leaders in Kerala and that the decision on the next CM would follow the party’s established framework.

Tharoor had reposted the survey result on social media site X.
(PTI file)
Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan on Thursday took a pointed jab at Shashi Tharoor following the latter’s social media post highlighting a survey projecting him as the most preferred chief ministerial candidate from the Congress-led UDF in Kerala. “He should first decide which party he belongs to,” Muraleedharan said while responding to reporters’ questions about the Thiruvananthapuram MP’s post.
Dismissing the relevance of such surveys, Muraleedharan added, “Even if someone else is leading in the survey, if the UDF comes to power in the 2026 Assembly polls, the chief minister will be from the UDF. Our aim is to win the elections. We are not interested in such unnecessary controversies.”
The veteran leader further emphasized that the Congress has many capable senior leaders in Kerala and that the decision on the next CM would follow the party’s established framework. His comments come amid rising tensions between Tharoor and the Congress high command, especially after Tharoor’s remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack attracted internal criticism for allegedly placing the party in a defensive position.
Also Read: Tharoor Shares Survey Projecting Him As Kerala CM Choice, Congress Leader Calls It ‘Cooked Up’
The survey in question, conducted by a private agency, indicated that 28.3% of respondents favoured Tharoor as the most suitable CM candidate from the UDF. Tharoor shared a report on the poll on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, simply adding a folded hands emoji, which many interpreted as a subtle endorsement.
Kerala is set to hold Assembly elections in April 2026, as the second term of the ruling LDF government, led by CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan, nears completion.

Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ…Read More
Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ… Read More
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Thiruvananthapuram, India, India
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