Congress Picks VD Satheesan As New Keralam Chief Minister

After days of intense lobbying, speculation and prolonged consultations between Thiruvananthapuram and Delhi, the Congress leadership on Thursday named VD Satheesan as Keralam’s 13th Chief Minister, marking what party leaders see as the rise of a new political generation in the state.

Senior Congress leaders Deepa Dasmunshi, Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken announced the decision in Delhi.

The final decision came after extensive consultations within the party leadership.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, who remained in Delhi during the final rounds of talks, met Rahul Gandhi before the leadership decision was conveyed.

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala separately received information that VD Satheesan had selected.

Born in Kochi district and set to turn 62 later this month, Satheesan began his Assembly career from Paravur in 2001 after establishing himself as a lawyer. Over the years, he gained prominence as one of the Congress party’s sharpest speakers in the Keralam Assembly.

VD Satheesan achieved his major political breakthrough after the UDF’s defeat in the 2021 Assembly elections, when the party unexpectedly appointed him Leader of the Opposition. He soon emerged as the most visible face of anti-Left politics in the state through aggressive attacks on the Vijayan government over multiple controversies.

Unlike several senior Congress leaders, Satheesan largely stayed outside Keralam Congress’s traditional factional divisions, helping him attract younger legislators and party workers seeking change.

On Thursday morning, Satheesan travelled to Thiruvananthapuram with his family and reached his official residence shortly before the AICC formally announced his elevation.

As he prepares to take over from outgoing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Satheesan now carries the responsibility of leading Congress’s renewed political push in Keralam.

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