Vadasiri Damodaran Sathisan staked his claim to form the next government in Kerala on Thursday after the 61-year-old was elected leader of the Congress Legislative Party, ending 10 days of suspense over the party’s choice for the top job that had heightened political tensions and sparked criticism.
Sathisan, a six-time legislator from Paravur and a former leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, beat off stiff competition from Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, who appeared to have the support of the party high command, and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala.
But Sathisean, who had not even been a state minister before, refused to back down from his claim to the chief minister’s chair, boasting of his popular support, his popularity among ordinary workers and the people, the work he has done in rebuilding the party after the shock defeat in 2021, and the strong support from allies like the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
The decision to select Sathisean was announced in Delhi at a press conference held by Kerala Congress in-charge Deepa Dasmunsi, the party’s central observers in the state Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik, and Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh.
“Based on all discussions, it has been decided to appoint VD Sathisan as CLP leader,” Dasmunsi said.
Hours later, the Congress Legislative Party met in Thiruvananthapuram and unanimously passed a resolution to elect Sathisean as its leader. Sathisan later met Governor Rajendra Arlikar at Lok Bhavan and handed him the list of legislators supporting him.
The swearing-in ceremony is likely to be held at Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium in the state capital on Monday. According to the party leader, Sathisan will take oath along with all 20 ministers in the government.
The development brought the curtain down on a tense 10 days when the Congress, and all of Kerala, waited for the party leadership to decide on the next chief minister after the United Democratic Front (UDF) scored an impressive victory in the Assembly elections last month. Momentum shifted between the three main contenders even as protests erupted in parts of Kerala, allies spoke out, and opposition leaders condemned the delay in the announcement. By the end of last week, Chennithala was out of the race and only Sathisan – a popular leader credited with rebuilding the party in the state and leading the United Democratic Front to its best poll performance in a generation – and Venugopal – the Alappuzha MP and among the most important men in the Congress organisation, were running.
Venugopal enjoyed support from the Congress leadership and among a large section of lawmakers. But Sathisean’s widespread support among the party’s rank and file and that of allies like the International Muslim League and Kerala Congress (JUSF), which have 22 and seven seats respectively, may have had an impact on the final call.
“The Congress party has entrusted me with a huge responsibility. I thank the national leadership of the Congress party, especially President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. What made me able to shoulder this responsibility was the hard work done by thousands of UDF election workers and the leaders who formed the UDF team. I am indebted to them,” Sathisan said in his first remarks after the announcement.
Satheesan also extended an olive branch to Venugopal and Chennithala, promising to give them confidence as part of forming the government.
“The activities of the AICC in Kerala have been coordinated by General Secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal. He has extended his assistance in all matters. Election Campaign Committee Chairman Ramesh Chennithala also played a role in the victory of the United Democratic Front. Chennithala and Venugopal are my leaders. I will bring them into confidence,” he said.
In New Delhi, Venugopal described the high command’s decision as final and extended his support to the new Sathisan-led government.
“The people of Kerala gave the United Democratic Front a huge victory with high expectations. The result we got of 102 seats is unprecedented. I extend all support to the government led by V D Sathisean,” he said.
Chennithala, who is the most experienced leader in the government unit, did not respond to this announcement. After conveying his support for the new government in writing to state unit president Sunny Joseph, Chennithala skipped the legislative party meeting and traveled to Guruvayur temple in Thrissur district to offer prayers on Friday, the first day of the Malayalam month of Edhavam.
“He has extended his support to the party in writing and left for Guruvayur to offer prayers. He is a member of the Congress Working Committee and remains loyal to the party,” Jyothikumar Chammakala, MP-elect from Pathanapuram who is seen as close to Chennithala, told reporters.
After announcing his appointment as Chief Minister, Sathisan paid visits to the homes of senior leaders AK Antony and VM Sudheeran in Thiruvananthapuram.
Antony, while congratulating Sathisean, appealed to the public to give the new administration some breathing room in order to fulfill its promises made in the manifesto. He pointed out that Kerala was in a state of deep financial crisis and that the general public should not expect immediate populist announcements.
“I remember that in 2001, the United Democratic Front came to power with me as chief minister. But as soon as the euphoria wore off, reality hit hard. The country was in such financial ruin that the government had to take some drastic steps. Everyone turned against me, including the media. Sathisean may also face a similar crisis. So he should be given some time to put things right,” Antony said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticized the decision.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged that Satheesan was chosen due to the influence of IUML and Jamaat-e-Islami.
“Every party has the right to choose its chief ministerial candidate. But what is shocking and disturbing is that it was the Jamaat-e-Islami and the International Federation of Islamic Universities that decided to form the Kerala Cabinet,” he alleged.
In a video post on website
