Six-time Congress MLA V.D. Satheesan has been named the next Chief Minister of Kerala by the Congress after a dramatic 10-day deadlock over the party’s leadership choice. A veteran Congress leader with more than 35 years of political experience, Satheesan has remained unbeaten in six consecutive Assembly elections from the Paravur constituency in Ernakulam district.
The announcement was made by Congress’s top leaders Deepadas Munshi, Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken in Delhi.
Satheesan, who was born in Kochi district, will be the 13th Chief Minister of Kerala. He will be turning 62 later this month.
Notably, the Congress leadership had earlier appointed Wasnik and Maken to supervise the selection of the Kerala Congress Legislature Party leader. The two leaders held extensive consultations with newly elected MLAs before submitting their assessment to the party high command in New Delhi. Senior Congress leaders then conducted multiple rounds of discussions before finalising Satheesan’s name.
Why was there a 10-day deadlock over the Kerala CM post?
Despite securing a commanding mandate in the May 2026 Assembly elections, the Congress witnessed an intense internal tussle over the chief ministerial post, driven by factional rivalries and competing leadership claims.
The primary contest centered around KC Venugopal and outgoing Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan. Venugopal’s supporters argued that he enjoyed the backing of a majority of newly elected MLAs, along with influential leaders within the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).
Satheesan, however, was widely seen as the architect of the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) landslide victory and reportedly enjoyed strong support from alliance partners and grassroots leaders across the state.
Complicating matters further was senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who also staked his claim based on seniority and administrative experience, making consensus within the party difficult.
The Congress high command is also believed to have delayed the announcement out of concern over possible public backlash and internal rebellion, as factional tensions spilled onto the streets through aggressive poster campaigns and public displays of support by rival camps across Kerala.
Kerala Assembly Election
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) returned to power in Kerala after a gap of 10 years by securing a historic 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, comfortably crossing the majority mark of 71. The victory also ended the Left Democratic Front’s bid for a rare third consecutive term, restoring Kerala’s long-standing pattern of alternating governments between the two rival alliances.
