The Congress on Thursday finally announced V.D. Satheesan as the Chief Minister-designate for the new United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala — a “difficult but right choice”, according to party observers — that came more than 10 days after the Assembly election results were declared on May 4. The decision followed intense lobbying, negotiations and consultations at multiple levels, according to Congress insiders.
The high command’s choice of Satheesan over senior leaders K.C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala was influenced by several factors, including his performance as Leader of the Opposition over the past five years, a strong grassroots/people’s connect and the backing of alliance partners. Ultimately, the choice was made keeping in mind Congress’s considerations for the state as also the national level.
While Venugopal was also a strong contender because of his influential role in ticket distribution ahead of the elections, senior leaders felt “paratrooping” him could send the wrong political message after the UDF’s emphatic mandate. The alliance secured 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, defeating the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government.
Besides, Venugopal’s appointment would also have created avoidable political complications. As the Alappuzha Lok Sabha MP, him being sent to the state would have necessitated a Parliamentary bypoll and the resignation of a sitting MLA to facilitate his entry into the Kerala Assembly. The Congress leadership also wanted to give a clear message in Kerala after the much-confusing Karnataka power-sharing struggle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar.
Sources said Rahul Gandhi’s preference for retaining Venugopal at the Centre was also linked to the Congress’s preparations for upcoming political battles, including states such as Telangana, Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand where it also has a stake. Shortly before the announcement, Venugopal met Rahul Gandhi, fuelling speculation that he could be headed for a larger role in the party after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s term ends next year.
Party leaders in Delhi admitted the choice was not easy, but Satheesan’s role in rebuilding the party after its 2021 defeat made him the “natural choice”.
“This does not diminish the contributions of Venugopal or Chennithala, but the sentiment among party workers and allies had to be acknowledged,” a senior leader said, pointing to his “experience and operational style” as a politician. Apart from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)—the second-largest constituent of the UDF—other allies, including Kerala Congress (Joseph) and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), also rallied behind Satheesan, making his leadership crucial for coalition stability.
Satheesan had emerged as the principal face of the Congress-led campaign against Vijayan and the LDF over the past five years. After the Congress’s defeat in 2021, he focused on rebuilding the organisation in Kerala through an aggressive, people-centric political approach that resonated with cadres and people as well.
“Along with Karnataka leaders Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar, and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Satheesan’s style of politics is expected to strengthen the Congress across the nearly 130 Assembly seats in the southern states where the party sees its strongest prospects in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections,” observers add.
A lawyer by profession, Satheesan rose through student politics and is known for an aggressive style of politics and strong organisational building capacity. Representing the Paravur Assembly constituency in Ernakulam district since 2001, the six-time MLA will hold ministerial office for the first time.