Kerala CM-designate VD Satheesan outlined his government’s stance on secularism, NEET and fuel prices while Congress works to contain signs of unease within party ranks.
Kerala CM-designate VD Satheesan speaks to the media in Thiruvananthapuram after the UDF’s Assembly election victory. | ANI video grab
Kerala Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan on Friday said the Assembly election verdict was a clear endorsement of secular politics and accused the BJP of attempting to spread division in the state, days after the Congress-led UDF returned to power with a massive mandate.
Addressing reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Satheesan said Kerala had sent a message to the rest of the country through its electoral verdict. His remarks come as the Congress prepares to form a government after ending the Left Democratic Front’s decade-long rule in the state with a decisive victory in the 2026 Assembly polls.
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“Some people are trying to start the hate campaign in Kerala. This is secular Kerala. The result of this election is a declaration of Kerala people to the entire country that our state is secular. We will keep it that way,” Satheesan said.
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The incoming Chief Minister also sharpened the ideological attack on the BJP, saying the Congress and the saffron party stood on opposite sides when it came to protecting Kerala’s secular identity.
“They are always trying to make hate campaigns. That is their job. Our job is to keep the secular credentials. That is the ideological fight between the BJP and the Congress,” he said.
On the controversy surrounding the NEET examination, Satheesan said the state government would place its concerns before the Centre, while noting that the examination was conducted at the national level.
“We will give proposals. We are not conducting NEET exams, it is conducted at an all-India level. We will check it and we will give proposals to the concerned authorities,” he said.
Responding to a question on fuel price rise, the CM-designate said the new government would first assess the impact on people and the economy before deciding on corrective steps.
“We will check the impact on society on the economy. We will check the liability of the people also. Then we will implement corrective measures within our limit,” he said.
Satheesan also dismissed speculation of discontent within the Congress camp after senior leader Ramesh Chennithala skipped the first meeting of newly elected legislators. When asked whether Chennithala was upset, Satheesan replied with a brief “No”.
Even before taking the oath, Satheesan appears to be facing his first major internal test: managing senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, one of Kerala Congress’s most experienced faces.
Though the party high command eventually backed Satheesan for the top post after days of consultations in Delhi, sections within the Congress were said to be rooting for Chennithala.
The veteran leader’s absence from Thursday night’s legislators’ meeting triggered speculation over possible unease within the party ranks. Chennithala later visited the Guruvayur temple and said cabinet decisions would remain the Chief Minister’s prerogative.
“The decision on who all should be in the cabinet is the prerogative of the CM. I wish him all the best and thank the party high command,” Chennithala said.
Sources in the Congress indicated Satheesan is expected to personally meet Chennithala and may offer him a key cabinet portfolio as part of efforts to maintain unity within the UDF government.
The Congress leadership officially named Satheesan as Kerala’s next Chief Minister after the UDF secured 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly.
Satheesan, a six-time MLA from Paravur, is scheduled to take the oath on May 18 at 10 am at Lok Bhavan.
A lawyer by profession, he began his political career through the Kerala Students Union before rising through the Youth Congress ranks. He has served as Leader of Opposition since 2021 and was one of the central faces of the UDF’s campaign against the outgoing Left government.
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