Who Is VD Satheesan? Cadre-Favourite Man Appointed As Keralam’s New Chief Minister

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader V. D. Satheesan has been appointed as the new Chief Minister of Kerala after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) registered a sweeping victory in the 2026 Assembly elections, ending the CPI(M)-led Left Front’s decade-long rule in the state.

A six-time MLA from the Paravur Assembly constituency in Ernakulam district, Satheesan has emerged over the years as one of the most prominent faces of the Congress in Kerala politics. He was serving as the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly since 2021 and played a key role in aggressively targeting the Pinarayi Vijayan government on issues ranging from corruption and governance to law and order.

Born on May 31, 1964, in Nettoor near Kochi, Satheesan comes from a legal and social work background. He completed his schooling at Panangad High School before pursuing graduation from Sacred Heart College, Thevara. He later earned a Master’s degree in Social Work from Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, followed by LLB and LLM degrees from Kerala Law Academy Law College and Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram. Before entering full-time politics, he practised as an advocate in the Kerala High Court for nearly a decade.

Satheesan began his political journey through student politics and served as chairman of the Mahatma Gandhi University Union during 1986-87. He was also associated with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). His first Assembly election came in 1996 from Paravur, where he lost to CPI candidate P. Raju. However, he made a successful comeback in 2001 by winning the same constituency and has retained the seat in every election since then.

Over the years, Satheesan built a reputation as an effective debater and organisational leader within the Congress. He served as the Chief Whip of the Congress Legislature Party and later became Vice-President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). In 2021, the Congress high command appointed him as Leader of the Opposition, replacing senior leader Ramesh Chennithala.

In the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, Satheesan led the UDF campaign and was widely seen as the face of the opposition alliance. Under his leadership, the UDF secured a massive mandate, winning 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly. Satheesan himself won from Paravur for the sixth consecutive time with a margin of over 20,000 votes.

The race for the Chief Minister’s post witnessed intense lobbying within the Congress, with senior leaders K. C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala also emerging as contenders. However, Satheesan reportedly enjoyed strong backing from party workers, public sentiment and alliance partner IUML, which openly conveyed its preference for him to the Congress high command.

Known for his fiery speeches and aggressive political style, Satheesan is now expected to lead the new Congress government at a crucial time when the party is attempting to strengthen its national footprint through victories in key states like Kerala.

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