Thiruvananthapuram, May 6 : The stage is set for a decisive Thursday in Kerala politics as the Congress party convenes the first meeting of its newly elected legislators, with the leadership question firmly in focus.

State Congress President Sunny Joseph has announced that the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) will meet on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the party headquarters, marking the formal start of consultations after a resounding electoral victory.

With a record 63 MLAs, Congress finds itself in an enviable yet delicate position, tasked with choosing a Chief Minister from within a crowded field.

The spotlight is on a three-way contest involving V.D. Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and K.C. Venugopal, each commanding significant support within the party.

The high-stakes race has intensified in recent days, with camps quietly mobilising backing ahead of the crucial meeting.

Adding weight to the proceedings, party observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken will oversee the process.

Their role will be central in gauging the mood of the legislators and relaying it to the party high command, which will take the final call on the leadership question.

Sources indicate that the observers are likely to hold individual interactions with MLAs to ensure that opinions are expressed freely, away from group pressures.

This exercise is expected to be critical in assessing not just numerical strength but also the acceptability of each contender across factions.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front has returned to power after a decade with a commanding mandate.

The absence of a clear frontrunner, however, has injected an element of uncertainty into what would otherwise have been a straightforward transition.

Thursdayâ??s CLP meeting, therefore, is more than a routine gathering, as it is the first formal step in resolving the leadership puzzle.

While a final announcement may not come immediately, the signals emerging from the meeting will likely shape the high commandâ??s decision in the days ahead.

With the swearing-in on the horizon, all eyes are now on whether Congress can swiftly translate its electoral strength into a unified leadership choice.

/IANS