V.D. Satheesan set to lead Kerala as next chief minister
Satheesan was among the three main contenders for the top post, along with K.C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala
Ten days after the results of the Kerala assembly elections were declared, in which the Congress-led UDF registered a resounding victory, the Congress on Thursday put all speculation to rest by electing V.D. Satheesan as the next chief minister of the state.
Party in-charge Deepa Dasmunsi, addressing a hurriedly convened press conference, announced that Satheesan had been elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party, paving the way for his appointment as chief minister.
Satheesan was among the three main contenders for the top post, along with K.C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala.
The announcement came a day after former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi held a nearly 40-minute meeting with party president Mallikarjun Kharge, following which the party indicated that all deliberations by the high command had been completed.
A decision on the chief ministerial face had been pending since 4 May, when the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a sweeping mandate, winning 102 out of 140 seats — well above the two-thirds majority mark.
Satheesan had emerged as the frontrunner early in the process, with strong backing within the party.
With his elevation, Venugopal’s bid for the top post has effectively come to an end. Although he did not contest the Assembly elections, he had emerged as a key contender in the race for Chief Minister.
Reacting to the decision, Venugopal said he was “fully satisfied” and would abide by the party’s choice.
“I am fully satisfied. I will stand with the high command’s decision. I accept the party’s choice of V.D. Satheesan as Chief Minister,” he said.
Interestingly, a day earlier on Wednesday, Ajay Maken had announced on X that the name of the Chief Minister would be declared on Thursday. He also drew a comparison between the Congress and the BJP over the time taken to finalise leadership decisions.
Taking a swipe at both the BJP and a section of the media, Maken said the Congress had never taken more than 9 days to elect a Chief Minister. In a post on X, he wrote: “And on this very 9th day, BJP and its godi media are making such a racket as if the Constitution has been shattered.”