The leadership contest that gripped the Kerala Congress for days came to a public close on Saturday, at least on the surface, when Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan and AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal sat down together at Venugopal’s residence in what was their first face-to-face meeting since the dramatic conclusion of the party’s internal power struggle.
The meeting was watched closely, and both men appeared determined to ensure it sent exactly the right message.
Venugopal, who is widely believed to have had the backing of a majority of newly elected legislators before the party high command stepped in and threw its weight behind Satheesan, was measured and warm in his public remarks. “We see each other every day, but this is the first meeting after the Chief Minister’s name was cleared. Whatever happened a few days back is all history now,” he told reporters afterwards.
He went further, emphasising that the focus had shifted entirely to what lay ahead. “The people of Kerala are looking forward to Satheesan’s administration, and so are we. We have been friends and colleagues for a long time. The party is the thread that binds all of us together,” he said.
Satheesan Hits Back At ‘Discord’ Narrative
Satheesan used the occasion to push back firmly against what he described as media attempts to manufacture divisions within the Congress camp. He was pointed in his criticism, accusing sections of the press of trying to drive a wedge between party leaders during a sensitive period.
“A section of the media tried its best to drive a wedge between leaders. But decisions in the Congress are taken only after elaborate discussions at every level,” he said. “There is nothing in our party that cannot be resolved. We are capable of finding solutions in a flash.”
He also went out of his way to defend Venugopal’s role in the process, directly addressing speculation that the AICC General Secretary had been anything other than even-handed. “KC Venugopal has always remained impartial,” Satheesan said, urging the media not to become tense over cabinet composition.
Cabinet By Monday
On the question of government formation, Satheesan moved to calm the anxiety building among ministerial aspirants and their supporters. He indicated that the final list of ministers would be submitted to the Congress high command by Sunday afternoon and that the full cabinet would take oath on Monday.
“Did anyone expect the entire Cabinet to be sworn in so quickly? By Sunday afternoon, the final list will be submitted, and on Monday, the full Cabinet will take the oath. Has this happened in the CPI(M) before?” he said.
He made clear that no final decisions on cabinet composition would be announced until the high command had formally approved the list, a reminder that whatever happens in Kerala, the central leadership retains the final word.
With Saturday’s public display of unity now on record, the Congress will hope that the narrative shifts decisively from internal power equations to the task of governance, a task made more urgent by the party’s emphatic return to power in Kerala after a decade out of office.
