Kerala State Congress Names V D Satheesan as Next Chief Minister

: After nearly 10 days of uncertainty following the Assembly election results, the state Congress on Thursday announced V D Satheesan as the next Chief Minister of Kerala . The decision comes after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) secured victory in the state, ending a decade of Left Democratic Front (LDF) rule. While several states swiftly formed new governments after the May 4 results, delays in finalising the Congress leadership in Kerala had triggered speculation within political circles. The selection followed a series of meetings between leaders of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), former state unit chiefs, and the party high command in Delhi to decide the leadership. Satheesan’s name emerged among three key contenders for the top post, alongside KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala. A representative from the Paravur constituency, Satheesan was officially named leader of the Congress Legislature Party at a press conference in Delhi on Thursday. He is said to have strong backing within the party ranks as well as support from key allies, including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Kerala Congress (Joseph).