MLAs from K.C. Venugopal's camp are openly expressing their displeasure after he was not picked as Chief Minister. They allege that a smear campaign was run against Venugopal in Kerala and that a specific group was behind it.
Right after V.D. Satheesan was announced as the new Kerala Chief Minister, MLAs from the K.C. Venugopal camp have started voicing their unhappiness. The K.C. group claims that the party's selection rules were ignored.
MLAs from the faction are openly upset that Venugopal was not chosen for the top job. They allege that a deliberate smear campaign was run against him in Kerala, and that a 'central force' was behind it. Pazhakulam Madhu has demanded that the new Chief Minister and the party must investigate the matter.
The group feels there was a huge push for V.D. Satheesan, which they believe was due to a 'falsely created public opinion'. However, despite the public display of dissatisfaction, the K.C. group also said that they will accept the party's final decision.
Who is V.D. Satheesan?
Satheesan was the Leader of the Opposition in the Keralam Assembly prior to the UDF's resounding win in the 2026 elections. The coalition secured 102 members in the 140-member legislature.
As the next Kerala Chief Minister is announced, the Congress Kerala Committee will meet with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar today to push its claim to form the government. Satheesan won 78,658 votes, defeating CPI contender ET Taison Master by a margin of 20,600. He has served the Paravur constituency for 25 years, first winning the seat in 2001.
Since 2021, Satheesan has been the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly, making him a prominent face of the United Democratic Front's (UDF) fight against the current Left administration. He has been an outspoken critic of the state administration on a variety of political and governance concerns.
He also served as the Vice President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and succeeded Congress politician Ramesh Chennithala as politician of the Opposition following the 2021 Kerala Assembly election.
Satheesan was born in 1964 in Nettoor, near Kochi, and is a lawyer by profession. He began his political career with the Kerala Students Union (KSU), and later joined the Youth Congress.
Satheesan won the 2026 Kerala Assembly election from the Paravur constituency, winning his sixth straight term as a legislator.
