Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency: A tense, ten-day-long period of suspense has finally come to an end. Following breathless speculation and marathon meetings, the Congress party has finally announced the name of veteran leader V.D. Satheesan as Kerala’s next Chief Minister. The announcement was formally made on Thursday by Deepa Dasmunsi, the Congress leader in charge of the party's affairs in Kerala. Following the party's resounding victory in the recently concluded state assembly elections, intense speculation had been rife within the Congress camp regarding the Chief Ministerial post. Ultimately, putting an end to all conjecture, the Congress High Command selected 61-year-old Satheesan to assume the role of Chief Minister.
On May 4, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) emerged victorious in the Kerala Assembly elections, bringing to an end a decade of continuous Left rule. However, while governments were swiftly formed in other states following the declaration of results, the situation in Kerala remained shrouded in uncertainty; although it was a foregone conclusion that the Chief Minister would be chosen from within the Congress party, the question of *who* that would be remained a matter of intense doubt. A fierce internal tug-of-war for the Chief Ministerial post had been playing out within the Congress party. Although the names of heavyweight leaders—such as All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary K.C. Venugopal and veteran Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala—were in the running, the AICC ultimately gave its seal of approval to Satheesan, recognizing his immense popularity and strategic acumen. Congress leader Deepa Dasmunsi formally announced the party's decision in Delhi today. She declared, "The Congress party convened a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on May 7 and unanimously resolved that the Congress President would appoint the new leader for Kerala. A decision has now been taken to appoint V.D. Satheesan as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP)."
Reports suggest that while the Congress legislative party had initially expressed its support for AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, Satheesan was ultimately chosen in light of the overwhelming support he commanded. For the past five years, he has served as the public face of the Congress party in the state. He is also widely regarded as one of the key architects behind the party's victory in 102 seats in the current elections. Additionally, he has successfully secured a victory from the North Paravur constituency in the Ernakulam district. V.D. Satheesan—a 61-year-old who has served as the MLA for the Paravur constituency for six consecutive terms—is one of the most prominent and popular faces of the Kerala Congress. Following the debacle in the 2021 Assembly elections, when the party's morale had hit rock bottom, he assumed the mantle of Leader of the Opposition and steered the party in a new direction. Over the past five years, Satheesan revitalized the party's leaders and cadres by relentlessly attacking the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government with allegations of corruption and misrule. Although a section of the party's newly elected MLAs—along with the loyalists of K.C. Venugopal, a close confidant of the Gandhi family—continued lobbying until the very last moment, the final decision was unanimously reached in favor of Satheesan. Welcoming this decision by the High Command, Venugopal stated, "The party's decision is final, and the party's interest takes precedence over everything else for me." For Satheesan—who rose through the ranks of student politics—attaining this coveted position marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Kerala Congress.