VD Satheesan Kerala CM: Key reasons explainedThe Congress leadership on Thursday picked senior leader V. D. Satheesan as the next Chief Minister of Kerala after nearly 10 days of discussions and internal consultations. The decision came after a closely watched race between Satheesan, AICC general secretary K. C. Venugopal and former Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala.
The Congress high command looked at several political and organisational factors before finalising Satheesan’s name for the top post.
Allies rally behind Satheesan
One of the biggest factors that reportedly worked in Satheesan’s favour was the support from key UDF allies, especially the Indian Union Muslim League. The IUML, which has 22 MLAs in the 102-member UDF camp, strongly backed Satheesan and viewed the alliance’s big victory as support for the political stand he took over the last five years as Leader of Opposition.
Other allies, including the Kerala Congress (Joseph) and the Revolutionary Socialist Party, also reportedly favoured Satheesan’s leadership.
Congress leaders felt it would have been difficult to ignore the IUML’s stand because of its strong grassroots presence across Kerala. The party played an important role in Rahul Gandhi’s victories from Wayanad and later supported Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during the by-election campaign.
Grassroots support and public image helped
Satheesan also enjoyed strong support from Congress workers across the state. Many party workers openly demanded that the leader who led the campaign should also lead the government.
At the same time, Venugopal’s reported push for the Chief Minister’s post created discomfort among sections of workers, especially because he had earlier indicated during the campaign that he was not seeking any position.
Several newly elected MLAs believed to be backing Venugopal reportedly faced protests from local Congress workers in their constituencies. Some leaders were even forced to shorten their thanksgiving tours after facing criticism from party supporters.
Young Congress faces like Shafi Parambil and Mathew Kuzhalnadan also came under pressure on social media over their perceived stand in the leadership contest.
Another concern for the Congress was the possibility of multiple by-elections if Venugopal became Chief Minister. Since he is currently a Lok Sabha MP, the party would have needed another MLA to resign to make way for his Assembly entry within six months.
Over the years, Satheesan gradually built an image as one of the strongest critics of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. His outspoken stand on secular politics and attacks on communal polarisation also helped him connect with sections beyond the Congress support base.
Party insiders believe that combination of grassroots support, ally backing and public perception finally tilted the balance in Satheesan’s favour.