Thiruvananthapuram: Bringing an end to 10 days of uncertainty, lobbying and factional negotiations, the Congress leadership on Thursday named V D Satheesan as the next chief minister of Kerala, signalling that public sentiment and coalition compulsions ultimately outweighed internal party equations.Satheesan, who claims to represent the real Nehruvian Left, had strong backing from the public and UDF constituent parties, especially Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala Deepa Dasmunshi made the announcement in New Delhi after hours of discussions involving senior Congress leaders. The choice came despite strong resistance from AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, who remained a formidable contender for the post until the final stages of deliberations.Terming his elevation as a “massive responsibility”, Satheesan said he could move forward only with the collective support of the UDF leadership and workers. He also acknowledged the support and guidance of Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala, the other contenders in the “prolonged” CM race, in shaping his political career.Venugopal accepted the party’s decision, but Ramesh expressed strong displeasure over being overlooked in the leadership race. He reportedly conveyed his protest directly to Rahul and stayed away from the Congress legislature party (CLP) meeting convened to formally elect Satheesan as the leader. Sources said he also reportedly informed the party leadership that he did not wish to be part of the new cabinet. Ramesh gave a letter of support to the party decision to KPCC president Sunny Joseph and left the state capital.Venugopal told reporters in New Delhi that he wholeheartedly congratulated the CM-designate. “I humbly accept the party high command’s decision and will work to implement it. I am a loyal Congressman. For me the party is everything. I don’t want an image at the cost of the party. I want to die shrouded in the party flag; will give all support to the govt in Kerala,” he said.Sources said Rahul spoke to Venugopal, who reportedly enjoyed the backing of a majority in the CLP, for nearly two hours even on Thursday morning to avoid bickering within the party. The AICC general secretary was initially unwilling to conced ground to the high command’s decision favouring Satheesan, which led to prolonged discussions involving Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi before a consensus was reached. The leadership felt that any factionalism can politically weaken the UDF govt even before it assumed office, they said.Interestingly, Dasmunshi acknowledged that Venugopal enjoyed stronger numerical backing within the CLP, but the party leadership considered broader political factors, including public mood, feedback from allies and consultations with senior leaders, while selecting Satheesan.The eventual decision is understood to have been influenced by pressure from UDF constituent parties, especially IUML, which strongly backed Satheesan’s candidature. Senior party leaders, including V M Sudheeran, Mullappally Ramachandran and K Muraleedharan, are also believed to have conveyed to the high command that public opinion was largely in Satheesan’s favour. Senior leader A K Antony refrained from openly supporting any candidate, but sources indicated that he clearly communicated the prevailing political mood in the state and this eventually led to the final call.Rahul, who was initially perceived to be favouring Venugopal because of their close political association, is believed to have shifted his position after recognising the potential political consequences of ignoring public sentiment. Congress leaders also reportedly took seriously warnings from IUML leaders that sidelining Satheesan could trigger a political backlash in the Malabar region, including in areas such as Wayanad.Following the announcement in Delhi, AICC observers Ajay Maken, Mukul Wasnik and Deepa Dasmunshi flew to Thiruvananthapuram to participate in the CLP meeting. Soon after being named chief minister-designate, Satheesan visited the residences of senior leaders A K Antony and V M Sudheeran to seek their blessings.Swearing-in on MondaySatheesan and his council of ministers will take oath on Monday at the Central Stadium near the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, a venue chosen to allow greater public participation in the event. Chief ministers from Congress-ruled states and AICC leaders are expected to attend the event. Satheesan met governor Rajendra Arlekar at Lok Bhavan on Thursday night and formally staked claim to form the new govt.
