Congress Announces Kerala CM After 10 Suspense; VD Satheesan to Attend Crucial Party Meeting

Ending nearly 10 days of intense political suspense, the Congress on Thursday announced senior leader V D Satheesan as the next Chief Minister of Kerala following the United Democratic Front’s sweeping victory in the 2026 Assembly elections. The announcement came after multiple rounds of consultations between the party’s central leadership and Kerala unit leaders amid a prolonged tussle over the top post. 

Satheesan, who emerged as the frontrunner after days of internal deliberations, was officially named by AICC leaders Deepa Dasmunshi, Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik during a press briefing in New Delhi. His appointment brings to an end speculation surrounding the leadership race involving senior Congress leaders K C Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala. 

Soon after the announcement, Satheesan left for the Congress Legislature Party meeting in Thiruvananthapuram, where newly elected MLAs are expected to formally elect him as their legislative leader, paving the way for the formation of the new government. 

Reacting to his selection, Satheesan said he would work towards building a “new Kerala” focused on youth, development and transparent governance.

“This is a responsibility entrusted by the party leadership and the people of Kerala. We will move forward without compromise,” he said while thanking Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for their support. 

The Congress-led UDF returned to power in Kerala after a decade by securing 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, decisively defeating the Left Democratic Front led by Pinarayi Vijayan, which was reduced to 35 seats. The result marked one of the Congress party’s biggest electoral comebacks in recent years. 

The delay in announcing the chief ministerial candidate had triggered intense lobbying and factional negotiations within the Congress. Party sources said repeated consultations involving Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and senior Kerala leaders were held over the past week before consensus was reached on Satheesan’s name. 

Meanwhile, the BJP targeted the Congress over the prolonged delay, alleging that the decision reflected “internal infighting” and claiming the next Kerala government would be “remote-controlled” by the party high command in Delhi. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the final decision was imposed by the central leadership after disagreements within senior Congress ranks. 

Supporters of Satheesan celebrated the announcement across Kerala by distributing sweets and bursting firecrackers outside his residence and Congress offices, as the party prepared for the swearing-in of the new government in the coming days.