Frustration is mounting among United Democratic Front (UDF) constituents in Kerala as the Congress party remains paralysed over its choice for chief minister. The inability to name a leader for the new government has left the alliance in a state of suspended animation, overshadowing its impressive electoral success.With discussions dragging on indefinitely, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second-largest partner in the front, has summoned its top leadership for an emergency meeting at Panakkad in Malappuram on Wednesday. This high-level huddle is a direct response to the Congress party’s indecision. The League has already signalled its displeasure regarding the protracted delay. While the party had clearly communicated its stance to AICC-appointed observers earlier, the continued hesitation from the Congress high command has triggered significant internal unrest.The party had initially backed Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan for the top job, a move seen as aligning with the prevailing public sentiment in Kerala. However, once it became clear that AICC general secretary KC Venugopal and veteran leader Ramesh Chennithala were also vying for the post, the League leadership retreated into a cautious silence to avoid being seen as dictating terms to the Congress.Despite the leadership’s official restraint, the rank and file are beginning to speak out. Former MLA and IUML Malappuram district general secretary P Abdul Hameed broke ranks on Monday to issue a blunt public critique: “The unnecessary delay in deciding the chief minister has dimmed the luster of our electoral victory and sowed deep disappointment among party workers.”The prevailing sentiment among UDF partners is that Congress is rapidly squandering the political capital gained from its massive Assembly poll mandate. Constituents have already sent urgent feelers to the Congress high command, demanding they resolve the impasse immediately. Outside the ruling alliance, questions are now being raised regarding the AICC’s role in the crisis. Observers point out that the high command’s claim of being caught off guard rings hollow, as KC Venugopal’s aggressive bid for the top job is widely viewed as a move that could not have occurred without the tacit knowledge or encouragement of the party’s central leadership.Congress party normally goes by the relative support among MLAs when deciding who should be the chief minister. Information available so far suggests that Venugopal has the backing of 47 MLAs, against the backing of nine MLAs for Satheesan and that of four for Chennithala, who was unceremoniously removed as Leader of the Opposition after the UDF’s defeat in the 2021 Assembly election under his watch.If the high command’s mind was fixed on making Venugopal the chief minister, an instant announcement based on the basis of CLP majority would have helped avert the current confusion. Alternatively, if the high command’s preference was to make either Chennithala or Satheesan the chief minister, it could have communicated that instantly to Venugopal and one of the two who was being left out, and that would have been the end of the story. Now it is a mess and the Congress party is likely to emerge from the current fix with a lot of bad blood all around.