Congress picks VD Satheesan as Kerala CM after intense power battle

VD Satheesan will lead Kerala’s next government after the Congress officially named him the leader of the Congress Legislature Party on Wednesday. The announcement ended nearly 10 days of internal discussions, factional lobbying and high-level consultations following the United Democratic Front’s sweeping Assembly election victory.

Party workers gathered outside the Congress office in Thiruvananthapuram soon after the decision became public. Supporters burst crackers, waved UDF flags and raised slogans celebrating Satheesan’s elevation. Many workers described the moment as the reward for years of aggressive Opposition politics under his leadership.

Senior Congress leader Deepa Dasmunsi announced the decision in Delhi after consultations with the party high command. She said the Congress Legislature Party had authorised the Congress president to appoint the new leader in Kerala, and the leadership selected Satheesan for the post.

The decision also ended speculation around the ambitions of senior leaders KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala. Both names remained central to discussions inside the party after the election results. Intense lobbying followed as different factions pushed their preferred candidates for the chief minister’s chair.

Although several newly elected MLAs reportedly backed Venugopal, Satheesan maintained strong support among grassroots workers and the wider public. Over the past five years, he emerged as the face of the Congress-led Opposition in Kerala and led the campaign against the Left government.

Reacting to the announcement, Satheesan called the moment the beginning of “a new era for Kerala”. He said voters had trusted the UDF after ending a decade-long Left rule and promised that the new government would focus on delivering its election commitments.

He also praised Venugopal for coordinating the Congress campaign at both the national and state levels. Satheesan stressed that the victory belonged to the entire party rather than any individual leader.

The Congress-led UDF secured a massive 102-seat victory in the Assembly elections, marking one of the alliance’s strongest performances in recent decades. Political observers largely credit Satheesan for rebuilding the party after its heavy defeat in 2021.

As Leader of the Opposition, Satheesan sharpened attacks on the Pinarayi Vijayan government over corruption allegations, governance failures and economic concerns. He also worked to unite different groups within the UDF and expanded the alliance’s outreach among young voters and middle-class families.

Satheesan’s political journey began through student activism in Kerala. He served in student organisations before steadily rising through the Congress structure. Since first winning from Paravur in 2001, he has remained undefeated in the constituency for more than two decades.

Meanwhile, Venugopal publicly backed the leadership’s decision and attempted to calm tensions inside the party. He said the Congress remained bigger than any individual and insisted that workers should respect the high command’s choice.

The leadership transition now carries major expectations. Kerala voters handed the UDF a decisive mandate after 10 years of Left rule. Consequently, Satheesan now faces the challenge of converting electoral momentum into governance while also keeping Congress factions united inside the government.

For the Congress, however, the decision marks more than a leadership appointment. The party has now placed its future in Kerala firmly in the hands of the strategist who engineered its dramatic political comeback.