The Congress on Thursday officially named V. D. Satheesan as the next Chief Minister of Keralam, ending nearly 10 days of suspense and intense internal discussions after the United Democratic Front’s sweeping victory in the Assembly elections. Satheesan, who served as the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Assembly, emerged victorious in a three-way contest involving senior leaders K. C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala.

The decision came after several rounds of consultations by the Congress leadership in Delhi and Kerala. The leadership eventually chose Satheesan, a six-time MLA and one of the party’s strongest public faces in the state, despite Venugopal reportedly enjoying the support of a majority of the newly elected Congress MLAs. The contest had triggered strong factional lobbying within the party and created tension among supporters of different leaders across Kerala.

The announcement was made at the Congress headquarters in Delhi by AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala Deepa Dasmunsi, along with central observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik and Congress communications head Jairam Ramesh. They said, “The Congress Legislature Party had met in Thiruvananthapuram on May 7 and had unanimously resolved to authorise the Congress president to appoint the new leader of the CLP in the state of Keralam. Accordingly, the Congress president has held extensive discussions with the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the AICC observers who had met with the newly elected MLAs…and many other leaders from the state, including MPs and former PCC presidents, were also consulted. Based on all these discussions, it has been decided that V D Satheesan be appointed as the leader of the CLP.”

The suspense continued till the final hours before the announcement. A Congress Legislature Party meeting was scheduled in Thiruvananthapuram at 1 pm, but discussions in Delhi delayed the process. Several senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, were involved in last-minute negotiations. Venugopal reached Rahul Gandhi’s residence in the morning and remained there for over two hours with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Meanwhile, party observers waited for the final signal from the high command before leaving for Kerala.

Sources indicated that the Gandhis convinced Venugopal to withdraw from the race. Senior leaders also contacted Chennithala to ensure consensus within the party. Rahul Gandhi reportedly spoke directly with Chennithala during the discussions. At the same time, Satheesan was travelling to Thiruvananthapuram for the CLP meeting while Chennithala remained at his residence in the state capital. Soon after, the Congress officially announced Satheesan’s appointment.

Satheesan’s elevation is being seen as a major political move by the Congress leadership. He enjoyed strong support from UDF allies, especially the Indian Union Muslim League, which has 22 MLAs in the Assembly. Many within the Congress also believed that the UDF’s massive victory was largely due to Satheesan’s aggressive leadership and sustained political campaigns over the last five years. His image as a strong opposition leader had strengthened his public support across the state.

Venugopal, despite having the backing of many MLAs and MPs, was overlooked by the leadership. Chennithala had also staked claim to the top post based on seniority and experience, having served earlier as Leader of the Opposition and Home Minister. However, the Congress leadership finally chose Satheesan after taking into account public sentiment and the views of alliance partners.

The decision marked a departure from the Congress party’s usual practice of giving importance to the opinion of MLAs while selecting chief ministers. In this case, the high command appeared to prioritise public mood and political messaging. Similar situations had happened earlier in states like Punjab in 2021, when Charanjit Singh Channi was chosen as Chief Minister after the resignation of Amarinder Singh despite reports that Sunil Jakhar had majority support among MLAs.

The Congress leadership has also rarely selected sitting MPs as chief ministers after Assembly victories. Earlier examples include Kamal Nath becoming Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh in 2018 and Bhupinder Singh Hooda becoming Haryana Chief Minister in 2005 while serving as MPs. In 2001, Tarun Gogoi was appointed Assam Chief Minister without being an MLA. Had Venugopal been selected, the party would have faced two by-elections, one for the Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat and another for an Assembly constituency from where he would have contested within six months.

After the announcement, Venugopal publicly accepted the decision and pledged support to the new government. He said, “I congratulate V D Satheesan. With so much expectation, the people of Kerala had given a big verdict in favour of the UDF. The UDF government under Satheesan will fulfill the promises and aspirations of the people. I offer that government all support.”

Responding to questions about the support he had received from MLAs, Venugopal said, “All that is irrelevant now. My position all along has been that the high command will decide and I will accept that decision as a disciplined party worker, whatever that decision is. The high command has decided. I will now be part of implementing that decision. I am a die-hard Congressman.”

On whether this decision would set a new precedent in the party, he added, “I don’t need to answer such questions. In many states, I was the person who announced such decisions…be it Karnataka, Telangana or Himachal. I kept away because it was Kerala… I accept this decision whole-heartedly.”

Later, Satheesan thanked the Congress leadership for trusting him with the responsibility and acknowledged the support of both Venugopal and Chennithala. He 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.”