Sri Vijaya Puram, May 14: V. D. Satheesan has been chosen as the 13th Chief Minister of Kerala after the Congress high command finalized its leadership decision following extensive consultations in Delhi.
Speaking to IANS after the announcement, Satheesan said he was dedicating his chief ministership to the people of Kerala and pledged to work towards the future development of the state.
“I am very grateful to the AICC leaders for entrusting me with this big responsibility. I dedicate my Chief Ministership to the people of Kerala. We will build a strong team that will work for the future of Kerala,” he said.
Responding to questions regarding the time taken by the Congress leadership to announce the decision, Satheesan said the process involved wide-ranging discussions and consultations within the party.
“I cannot say that this was a delay. This is a process. Earlier, there was no such intense media and social media scrutiny. Sometimes, even fake news spreads. The leadership discussed the matter with former PCC presidents, working committee members, MLAs, and MPs before arriving at a decision,” he stated.
Satheesan also highlighted the economic challenges currently facing Kerala and stressed the need for major policy and administrative changes.
“We are going through a very vulnerable period because the fiscal situation in Kerala is very poor. We have to make many changes. We have studied a lot, prepared documents, and discussed with experts,” he said.
The announcement regarding Satheesan’s elevation was made in Delhi by senior Congress leaders Deepa Das Munshi, Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken following the completion of internal consultations within the party leadership.
According to party sources, the decision came after multiple rounds of discussions involving senior Congress leaders and the party high command. Congress General Secretary K. C. Venugopal was reportedly present in Delhi during the final stages of the consultation process and later met Rahul Gandhi before the leadership decision was conveyed.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala was also informed about the final outcome after the party leadership concluded discussions.
Satheesan’s elevation is being viewed as a significant political development for the Congress party in Kerala as it attempts to strengthen its organisational structure following years of factional divisions and electoral setbacks.
Born in Kochi district and trained as a lawyer, Satheesan entered the Kerala Legislative Assembly from Paravur in 2001. Over the years, he gained recognition within the Assembly for his aggressive debating style and attacks on the ruling Left benches.
His political rise accelerated after the Congress-led United Democratic Front’s defeat in the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, when he was unexpectedly chosen as the Leader of Opposition.
Since then, Satheesan emerged as one of the most visible opposition faces in Kerala politics, leading attacks against the Left government on issues including the gold smuggling controversy, AI camera allegations and law and order concerns.
Unlike several senior Congress leaders associated with established factions, Satheesan was often seen as maintaining a comparatively independent political identity within the party structure.
