After days of discussions and speculation, outgoing Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan was named the new chief minister of Keralam, 11 days after the Assembly election results were declared on May 4.
The announcement brought an end to the wait over who would lead the Congress-led government after the party’s victory in the state.
Congress leadership finalised the decision
The announcement was made by Deepa Dasmunshi, general secretary in charge of Keralam, who outlined the consultation process followed before arriving at the decision.
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“The Congress legislature party met at Thiruvananthapuram and unanimously authorised Congress president to select the CLP leader," Dasmunshi was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
She further said, “Congress president held extensive discussions with the Congress parliamentary party leader (Sonia Gandhi) and Leader of the Opposition (Rahul Gandhi) and many other leaders including former PCC chiefs. Based on all these discussions it has been decided that VD Satheesan has been appointed as the leader of the Congress Legislative Party.”
"Congratulations to Shri @vdsatheesan on being named as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Keralam and as the next Chief Minister of Keralam.
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) May 14, 2026
A six-term MLA, former Leader of Opposition from 2021 to 2026, and a leader who began his public life through student… pic.twitter.com/PJWuiVNzC1
Support from party and allies played a role
According to a senior Congress leader, KC Venugopal had emerged as a preferred choice for sections of the Congress leadership, particularly Rahul Gandhi.
However, Satheesan reportedly gathered wider backing within the party structure and from alliance partners.
Sources indicated that he received support from organisational leaders as well as allies, including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
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On Thursday morning, Venugopal also met Rahul Gandhi before the final announcement, per the HT report.
Last-minute change in announcement plan
Earlier, Congress had planned to announce the chief minister’s name during a legislative party meeting in Keralam. However, the leadership later shifted the announcement to the party headquarters at 24 Akbar Road in New Delhi.
With the decision now made, attention is expected to shift towards cabinet formation and the next steps for the new government in Keralam.
