Before ascending to the top office in Kerala, Kerala Congress leader, chief minister-designate V D Sathisean, paid a visit to his late mentor’s house and cried.
Sathisan, who is scheduled to take oath as chief minister on May 18 after the Congress-led United Democratic Front’s landslide victory in the state assembly elections, visited the Thiruvananthapuram residence of late Congress leader G Karthikeyan on Friday. It was part of a series of courtesy calls he made before the swearing-in.
Receiving Karthikeyan’s wife MT Sulekha and son Congress leader K Sabarinadhan, Sathisean could not contain his emotions. This prompted Karthikeyan’s wife to offer an affectionate rebuke: “The Prime Minister should not cry like this.” Smile through tears.
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Speaking to reporters after the visit, Sathisean was candid when recalling the bond he shared with the veteran leader who died in 2015.
“I am someone who had already stayed away from student and youth politics. When I came back, he was the one who insisted that I contest the assembly in 1996 and 2001,” Sathisan said.
“Back”
After his student and youth political career seemingly came to a halt – as he was repeatedly denied key organizational positions – Sathisean turned away from front-line politics and spent a short stint as a practicing lawyer. Karthikeyan pulled him back and convinced him to contest against Paravoor in 1996 when he lost, and again in 2001 when he finally won.
Describing Karthikeyan’s family as his family, Sathesan described the late leader as the man who truly brought him into mainstream politics.
Sathisan, who led the opposition UDF bloc through years of battles against the CPM-led Left Democratic Front, had a busy day of networking as the chief minister-designate.
Courtesy calls
He called on veteran Congress leader AK Antony to seek his blessings, met outgoing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and also visited UDF organizer Adoor Prakash and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, the latter of whom was a contender for the CM’s post along with KC Venugopal.
Sathisean is scheduled to take oath on Monday morning. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to be held at 10 am at Lok Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front won 102 of the 140 assembly seats, ending a decade of UDF rule. Sathisan has held the Paravur seat continuously since 2001, winning six consecutive terms, and served as Leader of the Opposition from 2021 until the United Democratic Front returned to power with the May 4 results.
