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Born in 1964 in Nettoor near Kochi, Satheesan comes from a Congress is known as grassroots Congress leader. Trained as a lawyer and social worker, he entered politics through the Kerala Students Union (KSU) before steadily climbing the Congress ladder.
Thiruvananthapuram: Supporters of Congress leader VD Satheesan take out a protest march demanding that Satheesan be elected the next Kerala Chief Minister, in Thiruvananthapuram, Friday, May 8, 2026. (PTI Photo) (PTI05_08_2026_000252B)(PTI)Congress party finally picked VD Satheesan as the Chief Minister of Kerala. The annoucement was made by the party in its press conference in New Delhi.
The announcement on Thursday ends the suspense over the party's pick 10 days after the results of the assembly elections were declared. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) had won over two-thirds of the seats in the Kerala Assembly polls.
The results were announced on 10 May. The Congress-led UDF won 102 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly. But the Congress party has since been engaged in prolonged consultations over the leadership issue amid lobbying by different camps and protests by workers at the ground level.
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VD Satheesan has been chosen as the new Chief Minister of Kerala. The announcement was made by the Congress party after the results of the assembly elections were declared.
VD Satheesan, 62, was the Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Kerala assembly. He entered politics through the Kerala Students Union and later became active in the Youth Congress, building a reputation as a sharp speaker and organizer.
The announcement was delayed due to prolonged consultations within the Congress party, lobbying by different camps, and protests by workers. Allies in the UDF also reportedly intervened, which some claimed delayed the decision.
Besides VD Satheesan, other prominent contenders for the Kerala Chief Minister post included KC Venugopal, an MP and close aide of Rahul Gandhi, and Ramesh Chennithala, a senior Congress leader.
Satheesan represented the Paravur Assembly constituency since 2001 and established himself as a powerful opposition face during the ten years the Congress was out of power. He was credited for leading the party's campaign that brought the UDF back to power.
The term of the outgoing Kerala assembly expires on 23 May.
Who is VD Satheesan?
Satheesan, 62, was Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Kerala assembly.
Born in 1964 in Nettoor near Kochi, Satheesan comes from a Congress is known as grassroots Congress leader. Trained as a lawyer and social worker, he entered politics through the Kerala Students Union (KSU) before steadily climbing the Congress ladder.
Satheesan pipped two serious contenders — KC Venugopal and and Ramesh Chennithala, both senior Congress leaders in the race. Venugopal is an MP from Kerala and considered close aide of Rahul Gandhi.
After his stint as a student's union leader, Satheesan became active in the Youth Congress and gradually built a reputation as a sharp speaker and aggressive political organiser.
Satheesan has represented the Paravur Assembly constituency in Kerala since 2001. Over the years, when Congress was out of power in last ten years in Kerala, Satheesan established himself as one of most powerful opposition face.
Satheesan was picked as Leader of the Opposition in Kerala assembly in 2021.
In the next five years, Satheesan was at the forefront of Congress parties opposition stance. Satheesan was seen cornering the Pinarayi Vijayan government over corruption allegations, governance failures, gold smuggling controversy, financial stress and law-and-order issues.
Satheesan is credited for leading the Congress party's campaign bringing the UDF back to power in Kerala after a decade.
Satheesan is credited for leading the Congress party's campaign bringing the UDF back to power in Kerala after a decade. It was under his leadership, the Congress-led UDF swept the 2026 Kerala Assembly election and ended a decade of Left rule.
Congress ally, Indian Union Muslim League’s backed Satheesan as chief ministerial pick. The IUML had reportedly conveyed to the Congress party that Satheesan enjoys wider public acceptance among all three contendors.
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
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