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KC Venugopal's first reaction after not being picked as Kerala CM: ‘I am…’
“The final decision has come, and the Congress high command decided VD Satheesan as the CM candidate for Keralam Government," KC Venugopal told reporters.
Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal on Thursday welcomed the party high command’s decision to name VD Satheesan as Kerala’s next chief minister, ending days of intense speculation over the leadership race within the Congress.
“The final decision has come, and the Congress high command decided VD Satheesan as the Chief Ministerial candidate for Keralam Government. I am welcoming that decision wholeheartedly,” Venugopal told reporters in Delhi shortly after the announcement. Track latest updates on Kerala CM decision
Congratulating Satheesan, Venugopal said the people of Kerala had delivered a “big verdict” in favour of the UDF and expressed confidence that the new government would fulfil the aspirations of the people. “Certainly, we are totally behind the government of Keralam,” he said.
Satheesan’s elevation came after an 11-day deadlock following the May 4 assembly election results, during which Venugopal was widely seen as the preferred choice of sections of the Congress high command, including Rahul Gandhi. However, Satheesan eventually secured broader backing from allies and party workers amid strong public sentiment in his favour.
Who is VD Satheesan?
Satheesan served as the Leader of Opposition in Keralam Assembly before the UDF's decisive victory in the 2026 Keralam Assembly elections. The alliance won 102 seats in the 140-member assembly.
As the next Keralam CM is announced, the Congress Keralam Committee will meet Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar today and stake claim to form the government.
Satheesan won the 2026 Kerala Assembly election from the Paravur constituency, securing his sixth consecutive term as an MLA.
Satheesan secured 78,658 votes and defeated CPI candidate ET Taison Master by a margin of 20,600 votes. He has represented the Paravur constituency for 25 years, having first won the seat in 2001.
As the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly since 2021, Satheesan emerged as a prominent face of the United Democratic Front (UDF) campaign against the ruling Left government. He has been a vocal critic of the state government on various political and governance issues.
He also served as the Vice President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and succeeded Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala as the Leader of the Opposition after the 2021 Kerala Assembly election.
Born in 1964 in Nettoor near Kochi, Satheesan is a lawyer by profession. He began his political journey through the Kerala Students Union (KSU) and later became active in the Youth Congress.
