After days of waiting, lobbying and public factional clashes, senior Congress leader VD. Satheesan has been finally confirmed as Kerala’s new chief minister. For many in the Congress camp, this decision seemed obvious. Satheesan had been the face of Congress led UDF alliance for the past five years and was at the forefront of the alliance’s historic electoral win. For people in Kerala, there is no other choice other than VD, even though Delhi’s high command gave an upper hand to KC Venugopal.
However, even as Congress is enjoying its victory in Kerala, the protracted tussle over the chief minister’s post perhaps suggests that while it may have won the election, the party’s internal issues are still fractured.
Why Congress delayed Kerala CM Post decision?
The post of chief minister has been one of the most contested internal power struggles in Congress in recent times. Besides Satheesan, senior leaders K. C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala were also strong contenders for the chief minister’s post.
Thiruvananthapuram: Keralam CM designate VD Satheesan says, “My party has entrusted me with a great responsibility. I thank Rahul Gandhi and others for that. Lakhs of UDF workers and leaders worked hard in this election. I am grateful to them for that.” pic.twitter.com/CUhpHWfdke
— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2026
While Satheesan had vocal public support in the state, Venugopal was said to have support among many MLAs and influence in Delhi high command. Chennithala, on the other hand, was reluctant to drop his stake.
This led to a week-long deadlock of closed-door meetings, pressure stunts, factional lobbying and, in one case, poster wars by supporters. Congress workers campaigned for their candidates in both Kerala and Delhi courts, causing embarrassment to the party’s leadership at a crucial time, when it ought to have appeared unified after a historic win.
The tussle was so protracted that the Congress high command reportedly discouraged leaders from public flexing and display rallies. In fact he is not happy with AICC’s decision.
How Did VD Satheesan Become Congress’ Biggest Public Face In Kerala?
Satheesan’s rise in Kerala Congress was not abrupt. Later, after the 2021 Assembly election defeat of UDF he became the Leader of the Opposition and strongly exposed the Pinarayi Vijayan government for corruption, poor governance and economic affairs. He played a spectacular role as opposition leader in Kerala.
Gradually he managed to revive the image of Congress among certain sections of the general public, who had lost faith in the party, due to its recurring internal squabbles.
Several Congress employees feel that Satheesan was able to connect with the public better than senior leaders, because of his constant media presence, firebrand speeches and grassroot level campaigning, which helped UDF win a landslide victory with 102 seats in the Assembly polls.
His sudden rise in popularity became hard to ignore for Rahul Gandhi and his high command.
Why Did Posters Against Rahul Gandhi And Priyanka Gandhi appear In Kerala?
The deadlock over Kerala CM did not just stay inside closed-door meetings in Delhi, but also spilled over on the streets of Kerala, revealing how far the Congress unit had splintered despite the historic electoral win of UDF.
Outside the Wayanad District Congress Committee office and near the MP office of Priyanka Gandhi in Kozhikode, posters against Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra showed as the Kerala Chief Minister’s identity was delayed.
The posters warned Congress high command not to entrust the CM berth to K. C. Venugopal. Some even had pointed political messages such as, “Mr Rahul, KC might be your bag bearer, but people of Kerala never forgive you” and “Forget Wayanad. You won’t win again from here.”
The issue took a more delicate turn as Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi won from Wayanad with the backing of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a significant ally of the Congress led UDF. According to reports, the IUML was more happy with V. D. Satheesan than Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, who was perceived to have a preference for Venugopal.
How Shafi Parambil Became a Part Of Controversy?
The CM deadlock also thrust a young Congress leader and popular face Shafi Parambil MP into the controversy.
According to reports, several Congress groups have blamed Shafi for publicly supporting KC Venugopal during internal negotiations. The growing bond between Shafi and Venugopal apparently irked politicians loyal to Satheesan or old-age Congress leaders.
Shafi has become one of the highest-ranking young leaders in Kerala Congress, after winning the Vatakara Lok Sabha seat, which has already disturbed certain senior cadres. The controversy shows that the Congress leadership conflict is not only about the Chief Minister post. It is also about the leadership of the next generation of party leaders.
Why Did Congress CM Fight Reach The Streets?
The protests showed far more than the leadership rivalry as it was a manifestation of anger among the grassroots level Congress workers, who thought that Satheesan’s demand for the CM berth is genuine after years of public political battle with the Left government.
For five years, Satheesan had been the biggest opposition face for the Pinarayi Vijayan government. He had also convinced many ordinary workers and supporters that the electoral win was more due to his aggressive campaigning and public outreach.
But Delhi talks revealed that Venugopal had strong support from several senior Congress leaders and sections of the high command because of his organisational acumen in the party.
The clash between “public popularity” and “high command preference” over the CM ticket slowly seeped into open factional mobilisation. Supporters of the rival camps started assembling flex boards, deploying slogan campaigns, staging protests and sending social media pressure on the Congress leadership.
It was embarrassing for the Congress high command as the party had won a huge win in the Assembly election by securing 102 seats after years of being in opposition. Instead of presenting a united front, Congress now seemed divided over power politics.
The protest also pointed to a deeper structural problem at the heart of Kerala Congress – persistent influence of factional camps and personality politics. Though the party had always downplayed these issues and staidly promised unity, the CM process revealed how different power centres were still fighting for control.
The episode was more than just a state leadership issue for Rahul Gandhi. It became a crucial test for him as to whether the Congress leadership could maintain organisational discipline after a huge electoral win. The longer the delay, the more it seemed like Congress was struggling to manage its own internal contradictions even before it formed the government.
What is the fate of Congress In Kerala?
Who became Chief Minister is not the biggest issue for congress. Rather the way it happened publicly, it is very important to think why congress workers took the issue to the streets. UDF won an overwhelming mandate but Congress seemed split as soon as victory became reality. Instead of focusing on governance, the party spent days fighting over leadership posts.
Opposition parties, including BJP and CPI(M), were quick to mock Congress for the delay. They asked: Who will govern Kerala more smoothly in future, a party that cannot even agree on who its own leader is?
The crisis revealed how factional politics continues to dominate Kerala Congress despite organizational challenges. The A Group-I Group culture may have fanned out over the years but this struggle showed that those guerillas have not disappeared completely.Satheesan To Face A Tougher Battle On A Bigger Plane Than Governance The victory may have brought Congress back to power, but keeping unity within the party could prove to be the toughest political battle for it over the next few years.
