Senior Congress leader V. D. Satheesan has been chosen as the next Chief Minister of Kerala after the Congress-led UDF’s big win in the Assembly elections.
The decision came after nearly 10 days of discussions within the party following the United Democratic Front’s strong victory in the state.
Congress leader Deepa Dasmunsi announced that the Congress Legislature Party had authorised the party high command to choose the leader, and Satheesan was selected for the post.
Satheesan was among the top contenders along with senior Congress leaders K. C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala. The leadership decision had led to intense discussions and lobbying within the party in recent days.
A six-time MLA from Paravur, Satheesan is seen as one of the strongest faces of the Congress in Kerala. He is widely credited for leading the UDF’s successful campaign and helping the alliance win 102 seats in the Assembly elections.
Over the last five years, Satheesan played a major role as Leader of the Opposition, strongly targeting the Left government led by Pinarayi Vijayan on issues related to corruption, governance, and the economy.
Although many newly elected MLAs were believed to support KC Venugopal, the party leadership finally agreed on Satheesan’s name.
Venugopal later welcomed the decision and said the party’s decision is most important. He added that he fully supports the Congress leadership.
Satheesan, 61, first won the Paravur seat in 2001 and has remained unbeaten there since then. He began his political journey through student politics and later rose through the Congress organisation in Kerala.
With this decision, the Congress hopes to begin a new political chapter in Kerala under Satheesan’s leadership.
