New Delhi, May 8 -- As the contest among senior leaders of Congress for Kerala Chief Minister post intensifies, All India Congress Committee (AICC) observers met party MLAs and UDF allies to take their opinion on the leadership. Three names that have emerged as top chief minister contenders since May 4 are senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, former Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan, and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal.

Ahead of the Kerala Assembly election, VD Satheesan had made a bold declaration - that he would bring United Democratic Front (UDF) to power in Kerala - "If I am not able to bring UDF back to power, I will retire from politics. I will go for political exile."

May 4 victory to the Congress-led UDF centered leadership...