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VD Satheesan takes role as next Kerala chief minister
After more than a week, VD Satheesan emerged as the winner in the tight race for the top Kerala post with other contenders, including K.C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala
- PUBLISHED: Thu 14 May 2026, 11:12 AM UPDATED: Thu 14 May 2026, 11:50 AM
VD Satheesan will be the new chief minister of Kerala, the Congress announced on Thursday. “The Congress legislature party met at Thiruvananthapuram and unanimously authorised Congress president to select the CLP leader,” Deepa Munshi, the general secretary in-charge of Kerala, told the media.
“Congress president held extensive discussions with the Congress parliamentary party leader (Sonia Gandhi) and leader of the opposition (Rahul Gandhi) and many others including former PCC chiefs.
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Based on all these discussions it has been decided that VD Satheesan has been appointed as the leader of the Congress Legislative Party.”
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There were three Congress leaders in the run for the top job; they included, besides Satheesan, K.C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala.
Results to the Kerala state assembly were announced on May 4, but Congress was unable to pick its chief ministerial candidate all these days.
There was growing pressure on the party high command to take a quick decision, as restless party workers and allies were disheartened over the delay.
Party veteran
Satheesan is a veteran from the state Congress and was leader of the opposition in the assembly when the CPI(M) was in power over the past five years. He won from Paravur constituency in Ernakulam district in the recent elections.
Satheesan also has strong backing from allies including the Indian Union Muslim League and the Kerala Congress (Joseph).
According to Congress sources, there was drama on Thursday morning as party leaders engaged in high level discussions, both in Delhi and the Kerala capital. Venugopal was with Rahul Gandhi and other senior party leaders in Delhi, while others including Dasmunsi, Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik headed for Thiruvananthapuram.
The top leaders convinced Venugopal and Chennithala to accept Satheesan as the chief minister. Venugopal, had the backing of most MPs from the state and also the new legislators in Kerala, but he was persuaded to accept Satheesan as the new CM.
The Kerala Congress Committee will be meeting the governor on Thursday to formally stake its claim to form the new government.
The Congress was facing a crisis over the past few days, with all three determined leaders refusing to step down from the race. The party high command, including Rahul and his mother Sonia Gandhi, along with his sister Priyanka, finally convinced the key players to accept the decision.
