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VD Satheesan set to be new Kerala CM as Congress announces name after days of suspense
The big announcement comes ten days after Congress-led United Democratic Front won in Kerala after ending a decade of Left rule in the state.
VD Satheesan is set to be the new chief minister of Kerala, Congress announced on Thursday, May 14, after days of anticipation, high-level discussions and deliberations.
The big announcement comes ten days after Congress-led United Democratic Front won in Kerala after ending a decade of Left rule in the state.
The announcement was made by Deepa Dasmunshi, Congress' general secretary in-charge of Kerala, during a presser in Delhi. She was accompanied by Congress leaders Ajay Maken, Mukul Wasnik, and Jairam Ramesh.
“The Congress legislature party met at Thiruvananthapuram and unanimously authorised Congress president to select the CLP leader. 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," Dasmunshi announced.
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The decision comes after several leaders of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and former chiefs of Congress' Kerala unit met with party's high-command in Delhi to discuss and pick a name.
Among the three frontrunners for the top job, along with Satheesan, were KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala.
After the election results were announced on May 4, other states got their new chief ministers and governments in place, while the Congress’ delay in naming its CM pick caused a stir in Kerala.
Who is VD Satheesan
VD Satheesan is a key Congress leader in Kerala who served as the Leader of Opposition in Kerala's legislative assembly during Communist Party of India's (Marxist) rule.
In the recently held assembly elections, he won from Kerala's Paravur constituency in Ernakulam district. He has been elected MLA multiple times in Kerala and enjoys wide local support there among the party rank as well as from key allies such as including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Kerala Congress (Joseph).
KC Venugopal was Congress high-command's preferred choice?
The delay in announcing the chief minister pick by Congress was caused as the party was holding several rounds of discussions between the party's high-command and local leaders and MLAs.
Also read: How VD Satheesan edged out Congress high command pick KC Venugopal in race to be Keralam CM
According to a senior Congress leader, KC Venugopal was Congress high-command's preferred choice for the role. However, Satheesan enjoys more public support and backing of allies such as IUML.
‘I am welcoming the decision’
After Congress' announcement of picking VD Satheesan as next Kerala chief minister, KC Venugopal said that he welcomed the decision and congratulated Satheesan.
"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. I am congratulating VD Satheesan on this position," Venugopal said while speaking to the media after the announcement.
“I think that people of Keralam have given a big verdict for the UDF. The government and the leadership of VD Satheesan can fulfil the aspirations and promises of the people of Keralam. Certainly, we are totally behind the government of Keralam,” he added.
