Congress will now proceed to form the government in the state, sidelining Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala who were the other leaders in the fray for the state’s top post.
VD Satheesan has been named as the next Chief Minister of Keralam as Congress announced him as the Legislative Party leader on Thursday. The decision comes more than a week after intense deliberations with Keralam party leader rushing back and forth to Delhi.
Congress will now proceed to form the government in the state, sidelining Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala who were the other leaders in the fray for the state’s top post.
Why was VD Satheesan picked as Kerala CM?
Satheesan served as the Leader of Opposition in Keralam Assembly before the UDF’s decisive victory in the 2026 Keralam Assembly elections. The alliance won 102 seats in the 140-member assembly. After internal discussions and consultations, the party leadership decided in favour of Satheesan, considering his acceptability across factions within the alliance.
He was widely seen as the face of UDF’s campaign against the Pinarayi Vijayan govt, as party allies and cadre credited his “aggressive leadership and sustained political mobilisation” for UDF’s landslide. He won Paravur by 20,600 votes, his 5th consecutive term. UDF’s second-largest ally, IUML, with 22 seats, backed Satheesan. Congress workers held rallies chanting “Only VD” across Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Alappuzha. Senior leader VM Sudheeran earlier told Congress chief Rahul Gandhi that “people stand with VD Satheesan” and warned of protests if he was overlooked.
In the AICC-held multiple rounds of talks with state leaders. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge met at Kharge’s residence on May 13. The final call came after consultations with AK Antony, Mullappally Ramachandran, and Kodikunnil Suresh.
VD Satheesan’s first reaction after being named as Kerala CM
Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram after Congress announced VD Satheesan as the Legislative Party leader, he thanked Rahul Gandhi and the UDF workers. Satheesan said, “I do not see this position as a personal achievement, but as something divine. It was KC Venugopal who coordinated all the activities of the AICC. His support was immense. Ramesh Chennithala is also my leader. I will take all of them into complete confidence. I seek the support of every section of people in Keralam. Only a collective effort can build a new Keralam. No one can do it alone; a team can achieve it.””My party has entrusted me with a great responsibility. I thank Rahul Gandhi and others for that. Lakhs of UDF workers and leaders worked hard in this election. I am grateful to them for that,” Satheesan added.
Why were KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala sidelined?
Though KC Venugopal reportedly had backing from 47 of 63 Congress MLAs, the leadership chose Satheesan. Despite CLP numbers, Venugopal was AICC General Secretary (Organisation), a key national post. Reportedly, moving him to Kerala would weaken Congress’s central org. Also, he lacked the mass-leader image that Satheesan built during the anti-LDF campaign. It is being reported that Satheesan told the party, “CM post or nothing,” signalling he wouldn’t take a ministerial compromise.
On the other hand, Chennithala’s prospects were weak because he was seen as representing the “old guard.” The 2026 win was pitched as a generational change after 10 years of LDF rule. Satheesan, 60, was positioned as a fresher face than 68-year-old Chennithala, who had already served as LoP and Home Minister earlier.
Meanwhile, Venugopal has welcomed the party high command’s decision to appoint VD Satheesan as Kerala’s next Chief Minister. Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Venugopal said, ‘The final decision has come, and the Congress high command decided VD Satheesan as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the Kerala government. I am welcoming that decision wholeheartedly.’ Venugopal praised the electorate for delivering a ‘big verdict’ in favour of the UDF and expressed confidence that the new government would live up to the expectations of the people.
(With agency inputs)
