Cadre Pressure Wins, Congress Picks VD Satheesan As Keralam CM, Rahul’s Main Man KC Venugopal Loses Out

Thiruvananthapuram: In a dramatic end to the high-voltage leadership tussle in Keralam, the Congress on Thursday officially named VD Satheesan as the next Chief Minister of the state, capping nearly 10 days of suspense, intense lobbying and internal factional battles within the party.

The announcement triggered celebrations outside Satheesan’s residence, with party workers bursting crackers and raising slogans soon after the Congress high command announced his name during a press conference in New Delhi, which was chaired by senior party leaders Ajay Maken, Mukul Wasnik and Deepa Dasmunshi.

Satheesan, a six-time MLA and one of the key architects of the Congress-led UDF’s sweeping victory in the recently held Kerala Assembly elections, emerged victorious in a fierce three-way power struggle that had divided the state unit and the central leadership.

Big Win For Local Cadre

The decision is being viewed as a major triumph for the Kerala Congress cadre and regional leaders, who had strongly pushed for Satheesan’s elevation over what many within the party saw as the high command’s preference for KC Venugopal, a leader widely considered close to Rahul Gandhi.

For days, Venugopal was believed to be leading the race for the top post due to his proximity to the Gandhi family and backing from sections of the Congress high command. However, resistance from grassroots leaders and growing pressure from within the Kerala unit ultimately tilted the balance in Satheesan’s favour.

Party insiders said the final decision reflected the mood within the organisation, with several leaders arguing that Satheesan and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala had done the heavy lifting on the ground to bring the Congress-led United Democratic Front back to power after a decade.

Suspense Over CM Face Deepened Despite Sweeping Victory

The suspense over the Chief Ministerial face had stretched on despite the UDF’s emphatic mandate in the polls. The alliance won 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, ending the 10-year rule of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by Pinarayi Vijayan.

The Congress leadership had held multiple rounds of consultations in New Delhi over the past week. Satheesan, Venugopal and Chennithala had all emerged as contenders for the post, leading to intense factional manoeuvring both in Kerala and the national capital.

Multiple Meetings, Poster War & More

On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi held discussions with the three leaders in Delhi, followed by another meeting on Wednesday with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to finalise the party’s choice.

The delay in announcing the Chief Minister had also fuelled speculation about deep divisions within the Congress. Earlier, Kerala Congress chief Sunny Joseph had indicated that discussions were complete and an announcement was expected soon.

Sources had also cited Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s admission at a Gurugram hospital on Wednesday as one of the reasons for the delay in the final announcement.

The leadership tussle had also spilled into the public domain. Posters targeting Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had surfaced outside the District Congress Committee office in Wayanad amid allegations that the top brass was trying to impose Venugopal over local favourites.

While Venugopal reportedly enjoyed the support of several MLAs, Satheesan gained crucial backing from alliance partner IUML and a large section of the state cadre, who projected him as the mass leader best suited to lead the government.

Satheesan’s appointment is now expected to bring an end to the uncertainty within the Congress and pave the way for the formal swearing-in of the new UDF government in Kerala.