The Congress leadership has decided to take a “cooling off” period before announcing the new Kerala chief minister within the next two days.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who are currently not in New Delhi, are expected to consult Sonia Gandhi before the final call.

Among the three contenders for the top post, Opposition leader in the outgoing Assembly, V.D. Satheesan, has already returned to Kerala.

Congress Working Committee leader Ramesh Chennithala left for Kerala on Sunday evening.

AICC general secretary (organisation) and incumbent Alappuzha MP K.C. Venugopal is still camping in Delhi.

“This is nothing but a cooling-off period to bring down the intensity of the protests, if any, once the name of Venugopal is announced. Venugopal has the support of the maximum number of MLAs, followed by Chennithala and Satheesan,” a Congress source told The Telegraph.

While Chennithala is hoping that his seniority in the party would be considered, Satheesan is hoping to make the cut for having steered the UDF to a landslide victory with 102 of the 140 seats.