MALAPPURAM: The rise of V D Satheesan to Kerala’s 13th CM was shaped not only by discussions in Delhi, but also by the clear support he received from IUML at a time when Congress was divided over leadership.
With the Congress largely seen split between VDS, KC and RC camps, IUML emerged as the only major ally to openly back Satheesan from the outset. While lobbying continued within the Congress for AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, the League maintained its support for Satheesan and consistently conveyed its position to the Congress leadership.
A key moment came when Panakkad Sayyid Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal publicly said Kerala’s next CM should be the leader who carried public support. The statement shifted discussions beyond internal factional equations within the Congress.
The League’s position drew criticism from sections within the Congress. Leaders with the KC camp, including Mathew Kuzhalnadan and M M Hassan, accused it of interfering in Congress affairs, while some community leaders criticised the party for taking such a direct stand in the Congress leadership issue. However, IUML stayed firm.
On Thursday, Thangal welcomed the decision, saying the leadership had chosen “the leader people wished for.” He said Satheesan would lead Kerala towards a stronger future. “The high command announced the person the public wanted to lead...I hope the new chief minister will walk with people and make Kerala’s revival possible,” Thangal said.
Within the League, there is also a growing expectation that the next UDF government will see close coordination between Congress and IUML under Satheesan’s leadership. Senior leaders privately acknowledge that Satheesan may continue to face internal challenges within the Congress in the coming years, but the League has indicated that it will continue to support the CM politically and administratively.
“There are enormous expectations on Satheesan and the UDF government. Internal challenges are inevitable. But the League will remain a strong support for the government,” a senior leader said.
Cabinet discussions within the UDF are now being watched closely. Senior IUML leaders including P K Basheer, K M Shaji and N Shamsudheen are being seen as likely to play important roles in the new government under the guidance of party national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty.
Names of A K M Ashraf and Parakkal Abdulla are also among those being discussed in the event of the party securing a fifth ministerial berth. Vengara MLA K M Shaji said the final decision on ministerial berths and portfolios would be taken at the UDF meeting on Friday, followed by an IUML leadership meeting on Saturday to finalise the names.
