Ending days of suspense and intense internal negotiations, the Congress on Tuesday officially named senior leader VD Satheesan as the next Chief Minister of Kerala.
The announcement was made by AICC state in-charge Deepa Das Munshi in the capital, along with AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh, observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken, among others.
“The Congress Legislature Party had met in Thiruvananthapuram on May 7, 2026, and had unanimously resolved to authorise the Congress President to appoint the new leader of the CLP in the state of Kerala.
Accordingly, the Congress President held extensive discussions with the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the AICC observers who met the newly elected MLAs on May 7, 2026, and many other leaders from the state, including MPs and former KPCC presidents.
Based on all these discussions, it has been decided that VD Satheesan be appointed as the leader of the CLP,” said Das Munshi.
The decision came after a nine-day deadlock involving a fierce three-way contest among senior leaders VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and AICC General Secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal.
After the party High Command named Satheesan as the next Chief Minister, celebrations broke out across Kerala.
Satheesan was at the Cantonment House in Thiruvananthapuram, the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition, when AICC leaders formally announced the decision in New Delhi.
Minutes after the announcement, supporters erupted in celebration, bursting crackers and distributing sweets in several parts of the state.
Paravur in Ernakulam district, the Assembly constituency represented by Satheesan since 2001, witnessed particularly grand celebrations, with party workers and residents taking to the streets to mark the occasion.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said he accepts the party decision to select V D Satheesan as the chief minister of Kerala and congratulated him.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Venugopal said he will provide all support to the CM and the UDF government in Kerala.
KPCC chief Sunny Joseph also said that the Congress workers in Kerala welcome and accept the party high command decision.
The announcement, originally scheduled in Thiruvananthapuram at the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting, was moved to New Delhi at the last moment.
Sources said the change came after senior party leader Rahul Gandhi held an extended meeting with AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C Venugopal, one of the top contenders for the Chief Minister’s post, in the morning.
AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi was also present at the meeting.
Party sources said the meeting was intended to reach a consensus among all factions before publicly announcing the decision. Rahul Gandhi and the party high command were keen to avoid an open confrontation between supporters of the three leaders, which could have weakened the party’s unity in the early days of the new government.
The party reached the decision after multiple rounds of meetings with newly elected MLAs, former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) presidents, working presidents, and senior state leaders.
Satheesan, the former Opposition leader who spearheaded election campaigns and took a vocal stand against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government, emerged as the consensus candidate.
Sources said the leadership was mindful of his popularity across sections of society and his approachability, which tipped the balance in his favour.
While Venugopal, considered a close confidant of Rahul Gandhi, enjoyed the support of a majority of Congress MLAs and MPs, Satheesan also had the backing of influential UDF allies, including the IUML.
Although Venugopal appeared to be the frontrunner in the initial rounds, sources said the Satheesan camp gained an edge during the leadership’s final round of consultations. Senior leaders such as AK Antony, VM Sudheeran, and K Muraleedharan reportedly urged the leadership to take public sentiment into account, which favoured Satheesan.
On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi also held another round of phone calls with Congress MPs to gauge their views on the situation.
It was learnt that Priyanka Gandhi, MP from Wayanad, also urged Rahul Gandhi to consider the prevailing political atmosphere before finalising the Chief Ministerial choice.
Sources said the leadership was particularly concerned about the firm stand taken by the Muslim League, the UDF’s key ally, which openly supported Satheesan.
The development put the leadership in a difficult position, as it anticipated setbacks in the upcoming bypolls and the 2029 general elections. At the same time, the party was keen to avoid the perception of yielding to pressure from its allies.
Satheesan’s camp raised concerns that appointing Venugopal would force the UDF to face two by-elections, one to elect him to the Assembly and another for the Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat currently represented by him. According to them, such a move could be politically risky in the state at present.
The Congress leadership had been facing mounting pressure to finalise a chief ministerial candidate following the May 4 Assembly election results, in which the party secured a historic mandate of 102 seats. The delay also exposed sharp internal divisions within the party and its allies.
