Thiruvananthapuram, April 16 : Even before the votes are counted, the Congress party in Kerala is grappling with a familiar problem, internal rivalry. With polling for the 140-member Assembly concluded on April 9 and results due on May 4, growing optimism about a possible United Democratic Front (UDF) victory has triggered an intense debate over who should be the next Chief Minister.

What began as murmurs within party circles has now spilled into the public domain.

Social media platforms are awash with campaigns backing key contenders, while television channels have amplified the narrative, turning it into a full-blown political spectacle.

Congress workers, too, have joined the fray, openly aligning with their preferred leaders and pushing competing claims with unusual aggression.

At the centre of the debate are leaders like V.D. Satheesan, K.C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala, each backed by distinct camps within the party.

Supporters of Venugopal highlight his proximity to Rahul Gandhi and his role in shaping national-level strategies, projecting him as a consensus builder.

Satheesan, on the other hand, is being positioned as the face of a younger, more aggressive leadership, credited with energising the UDFâ??s campaign against the Left government.

Chennithalaâ??s camp leans on seniority and experience, arguing that he remains a natural choice if the party returns to power.

This open jockeying, however, has raised concerns within the party.

During the campaign, the Congress had carefully avoided projecting a Chief Ministerial candidate, insisting that the decision would rest with the high command.

The intent was to prevent factionalism from undermining electoral prospects.

That restraint appears to have faded quickly after polling day.

Reports now suggest that the party leadership in Delhi is unhappy with the public airing of internal differences.

The high command is understood to have reiterated that established procedures, not social media campaigns or public posturing, will determine the final choice.

There is also unease that the ongoing tussle could send confusing signals to voters and dilute the message of unity that the UDF sought to project during the campaign.

The coming weeks, therefore, are as much about managing internal expectations as they are about awaiting the electoral verdict.

If the Congress-led front does secure a win, the leadership will have to swiftly contain factional pressures and present a united front.

For now, the battle for Keralaâ??s top post has begun well before the ballots are counted, and it is playing out in full public view.

K. Muraleedharan, son of four-time Congress Chief Minister K. Karunakaran, who has seen it all at close quarters when the party was deeply divided between his father and Antony, minced no words, saying, â??itâ??s unfair to those who have voted for the UDF to see this unnecessary and needless discussions going on and all should maintain clamâ??, on Thursday morning.

Sunny Joseph, State Congress president, on Thursday, said there is an accepted procedure in the party that starts to work when a chief minister is being selected. â??What we have found out is that this is being done by a section using fake accounts on social media. Moreover, there will come a time when the legislators will be expressing their views on this topic at the appropriate forum, and until then, none should go overboard,â?? said Joseph.

/IANS