Published May 14, 2026 | 6:36 PM ⚊ Updated May 14, 2026 | 6:36 PM
V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala
Synopsis: While his absence is being perceived as his discontent towards the decision of AICC, his camp said that the visit was a pre-scheduled one. Ramesh Chennithala, however, is yet to come out with a statement and was unavailable for comments. While KC Venugopal congratulated Satheesan, the CM designate, Ramesh is yet to do so either through a public statement or through social media.
Senior Congress leader and one of the contenders of the CM race Ramesh Chennithala has decided not to attend the CLP meeting, being held at the 5E Hall of Kerala Legislature Assembly Annex Complex, on Thursday, 14 May.
Leaders close to him said that he handed over his letter of support to the CLP leader VD Satheesan to KPCC president Sunny Joseph and headed to Guruvayur Temple.
While his absence is being perceived as his discontent towards the decision of AICC, his camp said that the visit was a pre-scheduled one. Ramesh Chennithala, however, is yet to come out with a statement and was unavailable for comments.
While KC Venugopal congratulated Satheesan, the CM designate, Ramesh is yet to do so either through a public statement or through social media.
After the meeting CLP leader and CM designate VD Satheesan is expected to meet Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar and stake his claim to form the government.
Meanwhile, the UDF leadership is set to meet at Cantonment House, the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition, on Friday, 15 May at 4 PM. In the meeting, they are set to discuss the general scenario as well as formation of the UDF government.
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Ten days after the United Democratic Front (UDF) scripted a historic victory by winning 102 seats in Kerala’s 140-member Assembly, the Congress has finally chosen VD Satheesan as its pick for the Chief Minister’s post.
Despite KC Venugopal being the popular choice of MLAs and high command, the cadres have prevailed in the party’s decision. South First had exclusively reported that the Congress high command had put its weight behind Venugopal. Yet, the party has set aside majority choice of MLAs and the high command, especially Rahul Gandhi, to pick VD Satheesan for the top job.
In the Kerala Assembly Elections 2026, Satheesan secured his sixth straight win from Paravur Assembly constituency. He won by a margin of 20,600 votes as he secured 78,658 votes.
It was in 2001 that the Congress leader won from Paravur for the first time. Then he defeated P. Raju of the Communist Party of India by a margin of 7,434 votes.
In the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly he was the Leader of the Opposition, as the Congress leadership decided for a change with Pinarayi Vijayan securing a second straight term. Satheesan then replaced Ramesh Chennithala.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
