Finally, after 10 days of talks and internal negotiations, the Congress on Wednesday, 14th May, officially announced V. D. Satheesan as the next Chief Minister of Keralam following the victory of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Assembly elections.
The announcement finally ended days of suspense within the party, as senior Congress leaders K. C. Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala were also seen as strong contenders for the top post. Over the last several days, discussions and lobbying had intensified within Congress circles in Keralam and Delhi.
STORY | Congress names V D Satheesan as next Kerala CM
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 14, 2026
The Congress on Thursday named VD Satheesan as the next chief minister of Kerala, ending days of suspense and speculation over the matter.
The decision was announced in New Delhi at a press conference by AICC in-charge of… pic.twitter.com/lvyUfdMA1a
The decision was announced in New Delhi at a press conference by AICC in-charge of Keralam Deepa Dasmunshi and the party’s central observers for the state, Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik.
“The Congress Legislature Party met in Thiruvananthapuram on May 7, 2026, and unanimously resolved to authorise the Congress President to appoint the new leader of the CLP in the state of Keralam. It has been decided to appoint VD Satheesan as the leader of the CLP,” Deepa Dasmunsi said.
The announcement came a day after former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for about 40 minutes, after which the Congress stated that all deliberations and discussions by the high command are complete.
VD Satheesan is set to be the new chief minister of Kerala, Congress announced, after days of anticipation, high-level discussions and deliberations.
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) May 14, 2026
Tap to read: https://t.co/DMEvNJHaoy pic.twitter.com/k3KeEIjeys
Satheesan, 61, is a six-time MLA and was the Leader of the Opposition in Keralam from 2021 to 2026. He is widely credited for leading the Congress-led alliance’s aggressive campaign against the Pinarayi Vijayan government on issues like corruption, governance and economic concerns.
The UDF registered a sweeping victory in the Assembly elections by winning 102 seats in the 140-member House, bringing an end to 10 years of CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) rule in the state.
Although reports suggested that a majority of Congress MLAs initially supported Venugopal, Satheesan emerged as the final choice because of his strong public image and popularity among party workers and voters.
Sources within the party said the decision eventually came through consensus after several rounds of discussions among the top Congress leadership and the key contenders for the Chief Minister’s post.
