Congress is preparing a large-scale swearing-in event in Thiruvananthapuram as V.D. Satheesan gets ready to lead Kerala after the party’s return to power.
CM VD Satheesan ANI
Congress leader VD Satheesan will take the oath as Kerala’s next Chief Minister on Monday, capping days of political uncertainty and intense lobbying within the party after the United Democratic Front’s victory in the Assembly elections.
The Congress high command confirmed Satheesan’s name after multiple rounds of consultations involving the party’s central leadership in Delhi and senior Kerala leaders. His appointment marks Congress’s return to the chief minister’s office in Kerala after nearly 15 years, with Oommen Chandy being the last Congress leader to hold the post in 2011.
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The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be held at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram and is being planned as a major political event by the party. Congress leaders are expecting a crowd of close to one lakh people at the venue.
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Senior party figures, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjuna Kharge, are likely to attend the ceremony. The Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Telangana are also expected to be present.
The entire council of ministers is likely to take the oath along with Satheesan. The first session of the newly elected Assembly has been scheduled for Thursday, when MLAs will formally take the oath.
Including Satheesan, 21 legislators are expected to be sworn in as ministers in the new government.
The decision on Kerala’s next Chief Minister came after hectic discussions within the Congress leadership over the past several days.
According to party sources, the final round of consultations began early Thursday when KC Venugopal was called to Rahul Gandhi’s residence in Delhi. During the discussions, which reportedly lasted close to three hours, Rahul Gandhi informed Venugopal that the leadership had decided to back Satheesan for the top post.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also learnt to have played a role in building consensus within the party.
Rahul Gandhi later spoke to senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who reportedly expressed disappointment over the decision.
At the same time, senior leaders Mukul Wasnik, Ajay Maken, Jairam Ramesh and Deepa Dasmunsi held discussions at Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge’s residence as the leadership worked out the final announcement.
The resistance within the party is learnt to have eased after Venugopal publicly accepted the high command’s decision, paving the way for Satheesan’s elevation.
The United Democratic Front leadership is now holding discussions to finalise cabinet positions and decide the ministerial share for alliance partners.
With preparations for Monday’s event gathering pace, the Congress is looking to project the oath-taking ceremony as both a political celebration and a signal of unity after days of internal uncertainty over the leadership issue.
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