VD Satheesan Is Next Kerala Chief Minister: How The Grassroots Congressman Reached The Top Post

Last Updated:May 14, 2026, 12:06 IST

For Satheesan, the moment marks the culmination of a long and often patient political journey

After days of suspense, backroom negotiations and intense lobbying within the Congress, VD Satheesan has finally been chosen as Kerala’s next Chief Minister.

The decision did not come easily. For nearly a week, the Congress leadership struggled to settle the question that had divided the party after its massive victory in Kerala — who should lead the government? Should it be KC Venugopal, the powerful organisation man with deep access to the Delhi high command? Should it be veteran Ramesh Chennithala, one of the party’s most experienced faces in Kerala politics? Or should the post go to VD Satheesan, the leader many workers believed had carried the Congress-led UDF back to power?

In the end, the Congress chose the man who had become the public face of its political revival in Kerala.

For Satheesan, the moment marks the culmination of a long and often patient political journey, one built less on Delhi connections and more on years of grinding organisational work, legislative battles and persistence within Kerala’s complicated Congress ecosystem.

How Satheesan Rose Through The Ranks

Unlike many Congress leaders whose careers accelerated through factional backing or proximity to the central leadership, Satheesan’s rise was slower and more organic.

Born in 1964 in Nettoor near Kochi, he entered politics through the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the Congress’s student wing, before moving into Youth Congress politics. Those who have followed Kerala politics for years often describe him as someone who preferred preparation over spectacle, a leader more comfortable building arguments inside the Assembly than creating dramatic headlines outside it.

Trained as a lawyer, Satheesan gradually built a reputation as one of the Congress’s most effective speakers in the Kerala Assembly. He won from the Paravur constituency in 2001 and never really looked back electorally. Despite his growing visibility, he spent years operating in the shadow of bigger Congress power centres dominated by leaders like Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala.

For a long time, he was respected inside the party, but not necessarily seen as someone who could take the Chief Minister’s office.

The Defeat That Changed Everything

Ironically, Satheesan’s rise began after one of the Congress’s worst moments in Kerala. When the UDF lost the 2021 Assembly election badly to the Left Front under Pinarayi Vijayan, the Congress was left demoralised and directionless. Senior leaders were blamed for organisational confusion, factional infighting and failing to counter the Left politically.

That was when the party leadership made an unexpected choice: VD Satheesan was appointed Leader of the Opposition.

At the time, many inside the Congress were unconvinced. He had never been a minister. He was not considered part of the party’s most influential national circles. Some believed he lacked the stature needed to take on a politically dominant Pinarayi Vijayan. But over the next five years, Satheesan slowly reshaped that perception.

As Opposition leader, Satheesan became sharper, more visible and more aggressive politically.

He repeatedly targeted the Left government over corruption allegations, financial issues, governance failures and law-and-order controversies. During politically sensitive moments, including the gold smuggling controversy, he emerged as the Congress’s most vocal attacker of the LDF government.

Gradually, Satheesan stopped being seen merely as an Opposition leader. He became the Congress’s principal political face in Kerala.

By the time the 2026 Assembly election campaign began, the shift was obvious. Whether officially declared or not, Satheesan had become the central figure of the UDF campaign. He travelled extensively, led attacks on the Left and projected the election as a fight to end what the Congress described as growing political fatigue under the LDF.

The Congress-led alliance returned to power with a sweeping victory, ending a decade of Left rule.

Inside the Congress, many workers believed the election result settled the Chief Minister debate immediately. For them, Satheesan was not just another senior leader in contention. He was the face voters had associated with the UDF’s comeback. Across Kerala, Congress workers openly argued that denying him the Chief Minister’s post after such a decisive victory would send the wrong message to the cadre.

Even senior alliance leaders publicly hinted at their preference for him. IUML state president Panakkad Sadikali Shihab Thangal had said that the “public sentiment" reflected in result favouring Satheesan “should be considered". IUML national general secretary PK Kunhalikutty also conveyed the party’s preference to the Congress leadership, arguing that Satheesan enjoyed wider public acceptance.

IUML MLA TV Ibrahim went further during the deadlock over the CM announcement, warning that prolonged indecision was “going against the people’s mandate" and hurting public confidence after the UDF’s massive victory.

Within the Congress too, several leaders privately acknowledged that Satheesan had become the natural public face of the alliance. Kerala Congress chief Sunny Joseph was part of the consultations in Delhi where Satheesan’s strong public support and visibility during the campaign were repeatedly discussed.

The backing from alliance partners and sections of the cadre created enormous pressure on the Congress leadership because the Kerala victory was one of the party’s biggest political achievements in recent years.

The Tug Of War Inside Congress

KC Venugopal remained a serious contender throughout the discussions. His closeness to Rahul Gandhi and influence within the Congress high command made him an extremely powerful option. Ramesh Chennithala, meanwhile, brought administrative experience and decades of organisational work.

The delay in announcing the Chief Minister exposed the tensions inside the Congress between electoral legitimacy and central control.

One side believed Satheesan had politically earned the post. Another worried about how much autonomy he might exercise once in power.

The IUML’s open support for Satheesan added another layer to the debate. While the League believed he enjoyed broader public acceptance, some Congress leaders feared the BJP could use that backing to sharpen its criticism around minority-driven politics.

For days, the party appeared trapped between competing calculations.

Eventually, however, the Congress leadership seems to have concluded that overlooking Satheesan after the scale of the UDF victory would create greater political damage than choosing him.

What Next For Satheesan?

Satheesan enters office with enormous expectations but also genuine challenges. Until now, his political identity has largely been built around confrontation and Opposition politics. As Chief Minister, he will have to shift from attacking governance to delivering it.

Critics inside the Congress have long pointed out that he has never held ministerial office before. Managing Kerala’s finances, coalition dynamics and bureaucracy will test a very different set of political skills.

At the same time, supporters believe his rise itself reflects what the Congress had been lacking for years — clarity, energy and a leader willing to politically confront opponents rather than merely manage factions.

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