Thiruvananthapuram: Congress on Thursday nominated VD Satheesan because the thirteenth chief minister of Kerala, ending a stalemate that noticed three leaders vie for the submit on the similar time, triggering road protests and flexboard wars throughout the state.
Deepa Dasmunshi, AICC normal secretary answerable for Kerala, made the announcement on the social gathering’s Delhi headquarters, greater than 10 days after the Congress-led United Democratic Entrance (UDF) gained a landslide victory within the state meeting elections, profitable 102 out of 140 seats.
“The Congress Legislative Social gathering met in Thiruvananthapuram on Could 7, 2026 and unanimously determined to empower the Congress President to nominate a brand new chief of the CLP in Kerala,” Dasmunshi mentioned.
After that, a number of rounds of consultations had been held. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, social gathering president Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha chief of opposition Rahul Gandhi, AICC appointed observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik later met elected MLAs in Thiruvananthapuram.
“Based mostly on all these discussions, it has been determined that Shri VD Satheesan shall be appointed because the chief of the CLP,” Dasmunshi introduced.
The stalemate was brought on by the competing claims of outgoing opposition chief Satheesan and an MLA from Paravur in Ernakulam district of Kerala. Senior chief Ramesh Chennithala cited his administration expertise and seniority. and Alappuzha MP and All India Congress Committee Basic Secretary (Group) KC Venugopal.
Social gathering sources instructed ThePrint that when Observer met MLAs to gauge their preferences, greater than 40 supported Venugopal, whereas Chennithala and Satheesan every garnered assist within the single digits. Nevertheless, alliance companions IUML and the Kerala Congress supported Satheesan resulting from public opinion in favor of Satheesan.
Following the Congress’s announcement, celebrations had been held exterior Cantonment Home, the official residence of Satheesan as LoP, and at Indira Bhavan, the headquarters of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) within the state capital.
Mr. Satheesan expressed his gratitude to the Congress management at a press convention.
“It’s Crew UDF and lakhs of Congress staff who led me to this position. I’m grateful to them. The folks of Kerala have given me an enormous duty. We’ll ship on the whole lot we have now promised them. We’ll work exhausting to start out a brand new period for the state,” he mentioned.
Satheesan added that the AICC, particularly KC Venugopal, prolonged all assist through the election interval and Ramesh Chennithala was coordinating the work as Congress Election Commissioner.
After assembly with Congress MLAs and alliance companions, KPCC chief Sunny Joseph mentioned the social gathering will meet Governor Rajendra Alrekar on Thursday night time to stake its declare to kind the federal government.
In Delhi, Venugopal, one of many three plaintiffs, supported the choice. “The voters of Kerala elected the Congress with excessive expectations. Subsequently, the UDF authorities will come to energy as per their expectations. I prolong my greatest needs to VD Satheesan,” he mentioned, including that he would totally assist the subsequent authorities.
Mr Satheesan is probably the most seen face of the Congress opposition to the Left Entrance’s Pinarayi Vijayan authorities and had publicly predicted that the UDF would win greater than 100 seats after 10 years of opposition – a prediction that turned out to be correct.
The three plaintiffs had been summoned to Delhi for talks final Saturday, at which level they appealed to their supporters to name off public demonstrations.
(Edited by Prerna Madan)
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