VD Satheesan named next Kerala chief minister as Congress ends suspense | India News
New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday chose VD Sathisan as the Chief Minister of Kerala. The announcement came more than a week after the Congress-led United Democratic Front returned to power in Kerala, ending the second consecutive term of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front.The decision was finalized by the Congress leadership after discussions among top party leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. The chosen name is next to veteran leader KC Venugopal of yesteryear and was preferred over Trinamool leader VD Sathisan.The landslide mandate in favor of the UDF came on May 4, reflecting a clear shift in public support towards the Congress-led coalition and a change in the Left Democratic Front government.The name was chosen after days of intense backroom consultations in Thiruvananthapuram and New Delhi, with the Congress high command weighing the rival claims of three senior leaders, VD Sathisan, KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala.The delay has become a political story in the past few days. The Congress-led UDF won 102 of Kerala’s 140 seats on May 4, with the Congress emerging as the single largest party in the alliance with 63 seats.
