The Congress-led United Democratic Front’s comprehensive victory in the Kerala Assembly elections by bagging 102 of the 140 seats, one of its strongest performances in history, will now spark debates on the question of the chief minister’s post.
As the leader of the alliance, the Congress will have to choose its chief ministerial candidate though it is likely to hold informal consultations with allies like the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress (Joseph) and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP).
The main contenders for the chief minister’s post are outgoing Leader of Opposition V D Sathisan, former Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and general secretary (organization) of the party KC Venugopal. While Satheesan and Chennithala are MLAs, Venugopal is currently the MP from Alappuzha in Kerala.
As the face of the party in the Assembly for the past five years, it would be natural for Sathisean, 61, who took over as a six-time MLA from Paravur, to have the strongest claim to the top job. Sathisan, the leader who entered the party through student politics and gradually climbed the ladder, is a Congress member with a Nehruvian outlook, especially on economic policies. Over the past five years, he has established himself as a brilliant strategist, winning a host of key assembly polls, followed by the Lok Sabha and local body elections last year. He is considered an aggressive face of the party and shows no hesitation in taking on open challenges from the CPI(M) and the BJP. Meanwhile, Sathisan’s weakness lies in the fact that he has not held any ministerial position in the UDF governments and thus lacks administrative capabilities. He also has detractors in influential community groups like the NSS, an outfit for the Nair community, and SNDP, an Ezhava outfit.
Chennithala, who is considered the senior leader within the state unit in terms of organizational and administrative experience, is also a candidate for the chief minister’s post. He was Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly between 2016 and 2021 and led the United Democratic Front’s campaign during the 2021 elections, but failed to lead the party to victory. Chennithala, 69, who also belongs to the Nair community like Sathisan, was the state home minister between 2014 and 2016 under Oommen Chandy. He has been a six-time MLA from Haripad and a six-time Lok Sabha MP. His affable personality and calm demeanor garner good wishes within the state party unit and are likely to make an impact among the newly elected MLAs.
Venugopal, 63, is considered a serious contender for the prime minister’s post, largely due to his closeness to Rahul Gandhi and the central leadership. He also leads a faction within the government unit, which has gained strength over the past few months in the run-up to the elections. Venugopal has immense administrative experience, having served as Union Minister of State for Power and Civil Aviation during the second United Progressive Alliance government between 2011 and 2014. He was appointed General Secretary (of the organisation) in 2017 and played a key role in the party’s victories in states like Karnataka, Telangana and Rajasthan. He has good networks with community leaders in Kerala. However, since he is not contesting the Assembly elections, the party will have to bypoll for him if he is selected as chief minister. His selection, in turn, would intensify factions between Sathisan and Chennithala’s supporters.
