5 min readThiruvananthapuramMay 14, 2026 12:12 PM IST First published on: May 14, 2026 at 12:12 PM ISTAfter 10 days of intense deliberations and consultations, the Congress high command on Thursday named senior leader V D Satheesan as the next Chief Minister of Kerala. Satheesan won the race for the top job after edging out two other contenders, AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal and former Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, after the party leadership weighed multiple political and organisational factors before arriving at a final decision.Stand of IUML and other alliesWhile a major chunk of newly elected Congress legislators (out of 63) were said to be in favour of Venugopal, one of the factors that turned crucial for Satheesan is the support from allies. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), with 22 legislators in the 102-strong UDF camp, put its weight behind Satheesan who has been leading the Opposition for the last five years.AdvertisementThe IUML was of the view that the UDF’s massive victory was a vindication of Satheesan’s political stance. Besides, other allies such as the Kerala Congress (Joseph) with seven members and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) with three also rallied behind Satheesan.The Congress high command could ill afford the stand of the IUML, which acts as the Congress’s ground work force. The IUML played a major role in Rahul Gandhi’s massive victories from Wayanad in both 2019 and 2024, and later in Priyanka Gandhi’s by-election win from the same constituency. As the IUML remains more active in grassroots election work than the Congress in many parts of Kerala, the high command could not ignore its stand.Support from party workers and civil societySatheesan’s support largely emerged from grassroots workers within the party. Party workers have trooped onto the streets demanding that Satheesan be made the CM. The prevailing sentiment among party workers was that Satheesan, who led the election campaign, should also lead the government. Venugopal’s fight for the top job created unease among sections of Congress workers, especially since he had publicly stated during the campaign that he was not eyeing any post.AdvertisementMany workers felt that any move against Satheesan after the victory would amount to denying him the political credit for the win. Venugopal has created an impression that he was out to usurp the fruits of the toil of Satheesan. The Congress’s poor performance in the Assembly elections in the Hindi heartland under Venugopal as AICC organisation secretary also came under focus in Kerala.MLAs facing backlashSeveral newly elected Congress MLAs who were identified as Venugopal’s supporters faced protests from party workers in their constituencies. Some of the legislators were even forced to cut short or abandon their tours to thank voters for electing them.Prominent young Congress leaders such as Shafi Parambil and Mathew Kuzhalnadan also faced criticism from local Congress workers over their perceived opposition to Satheesan. They were projected on social media as leaders who were going against the mandate of the people. On social media, many of these Congress MLAs faced questions and were told that they were not elected to raise hands for Venugopal in the CM race.you may likeAlso Read | ‘Look for vision, not administrative experience’: Kerala CM frontrunner V D SatheesanBypoll factorVenugopal becoming Kerala CM would have left the Congress with two by-elections to face. The party would have to get a sitting legislator to resign from a safe seat to ensure his entry to the Assembly within the next six months. Venugopal’s resignation as the Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha would have also led to another by-election. Venugopal had contested the parliamentary election in 2024 while he was a serving Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan. The Congress later lost that seat upon his resignation from the Upper House. In Kerala, the UDF was worried about how voters would feel about another by-election.Public perceptionAlthough the Congress had not announced a CM candidate in Kerala before elections, Satheesan has slowly grown into an organic choice for the post over the last five years. The UDF’s win was seen as a vindication of Satheesan’s political stand on many issues.Satheesan was the strongest and most vocal critic of former CM Pinarayi Vijayan, who was seen as a massive power centre in Kerala. At a time when several Congress leaders were reluctant to confront controversial anti-Muslim remarks made by influential Hindu community leaders, Satheesan consistently warned against attempts to polarise Kerala’s politics. By openly challenging the vote-bank politics associated with leaders such as Vellappally Natesan and G Sukumaran Nair, he built an image of championing secular politics. Despite challenges from community outfits, Satheesan said if the UDF failed to get 100-plus seats, he would end his political career. This, in turn, helped him gain support from a section of Left sympathisers as well.