New Delhi: Senior Congress leader V. D. Satheesan was on Thursday elected as the Congress Legislative Party leader in Kerala, paving the way for him to become the next Chief Minister of the state.
The announcement came after more than a week of deliberations within the party, with senior Kerala Congress leaders holding multiple rounds of discussions in New Delhi.
With Satheesan’s appointment, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is set to form the government in the state following its victory in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections.
Congress General Secretary K. C. Venugopal and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala were also considered contenders for the top post.
Satheesan had served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly before the UDF secured a decisive mandate in the elections, winning 102 seats in the 140-member House.
Following the announcement, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee is expected to meet Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and stake claim to form the government.
Satheesan was elected from the Paravur Assembly constituency in the 2026 elections, securing his sixth consecutive term as an MLA.
He polled 78,658 votes and defeated CPI candidate E.T. Taison Master by a margin of 20,600 votes. Satheesan has represented the constituency since 2001.
As Leader of the Opposition since 2021, Satheesan emerged as a prominent face of the UDF campaign against the ruling Left Democratic Front government and was vocal on issues related to governance and state politics.
He also served as Vice President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and succeeded Ramesh Chennithala as Leader of the Opposition after the 2021 Assembly elections.
Born in 1964 in Nettoor near Kochi, Satheesan is a lawyer by profession. He began his political journey through the Kerala Students Union (KSU) before becoming active in the Youth Congress.
(DD News)