New Delhi: After 10 days of intense deliberations, lobbying and internal brainstorming, Congress On Thursday, the suspense over the post of Chief Minister of Kerala finally ended with the election of VD Satheesan for the top post.Satheesan emerged victorious in a closely watched leadership battle against senior leader KC Venugopal And Ramesh Chennithala weighed the alliance equations, grassroots sentiments, public perception and electoral calculations by the Congress high command before arriving at the final decision.Although Venugopal was seen as a strong contender with the support of a large section of MLAs and the party leadership in Delhi, several political factors ultimately tilted the balance in Satheesan’s favour.Satheesan, being a vocal and visible critic of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government, also worked heavily in his favour. Although the Congress had never formally presented its chief ministerial face before the elections, Satheesan had gradually emerged as the public face of the opposition against the Left Democratic Front government over the past five years.Satheesan also had the direct support of grassroots Congress workers. In the days following the election results, party workers openly campaigned for him to be made Chief Minister, arguing that the leader who led the election battle should also lead the government.One of the most important reasons was the stance adopted by key allies of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), especially the Indian Union Muslim League. The IUML, which has 22 MLAs in the 102-member UDF alliance, strongly supported Satheesan and saw the alliance’s landslide victory as an vindication of his leadership over the past five years as opposition leader.The Kerala Congress (Joseph) and the Revolutionary Socialist Party also supported Satheesan, strengthening his position within the alliance.The Congress leadership knew that ignoring IUML’s stance could lead to complications for the new government. IUML has long served as one of the strongest grassroots allies of the Congress in Kerala and has played a major role in Rahul Gandhivictory from Wayanad in 2019 and 2024, and the subsequent by-election victory of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from the constituency.Within a section of the party, there was uneasiness over Venugopal, considered close to Rahul Gandhi, joining the race for the top post even though he had already indicated during the campaign that he was not seeking the post. Many activists believed that ignoring Satheesan after the UDF’s sweeping mandate would amount to denying him political credit for the victory.The Congress’s recent struggle in assembly elections in several Hindi-speaking states during Venugopal’s tenure as AICC organizing secretary also became a topic of discussion among leaders and workers in Kerala.Internal pressure was also visible at the constituency level. Several newly elected Congress MLAs, identified as supporters of Venugopal, reportedly faced opposition from local party workers. Some MLAs had to cut short their tours after the elections amid criticism from activists and social media campaigns questioning Satheesan’s opposition.Youth Congress leaders like Shafi Parambil and Mathew Kuzhalandan were also criticized online by party workers, who portrayed them as leaders going against the people’s mandate.Another important factor behind the Congress’ decision was the possibility of multiple by-elections if Venugopal had been selected as the Chief Minister.As the sitting Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha, Venugopal will have to resign from Parliament and contest assembly by-elections within six months to remain chief minister. His resignation from the Lok Sabha would also trigger another parliamentary by-election.Within the UDF, there were concerns about forcing voters to go to fresh elections so soon after the assembly elections, especially at a time when the alliance was trying to consolidate its political gains.Congress leaders were also conscious of the political risks involved in contesting the by-election for a sitting chief minister. Even though Venugopal would have likely contested from a reserved Congress seat, party leaders did not want to bring avoidable uncertainty into the new government.Public perception also worked heavily in Satheesan’s favor.He was one of Vijayan’s sharpest critics and often targeted the LDF government on issues related to governance and corruption. Satheesan also built his image as a strong supporter of secular politics in Kerala.At a time when many Congress leaders avoided directly confronting controversial comments made by influential Hindu community leaders, Satheesan repeatedly warned against efforts to polarize Kerala politics. Vellapalli Natesan and G. By openly challenging leaders like Sukumaran Nair, he gained support among sections who saw him as a leader willing to take political risks.During the campaign, Satheesan also made a high-profile political announcement, stating that he would end his political career if the UDF failed to cross 100 seats. The alliance eventually easily surpassed that figure, cementing his image as a confident campaign leader.Even though Venugopal reportedly had the support of most Congress MLAs and had close ties with the central leadership, the delay in announcing the chief ministerial face reflects the party’s attempt to strike a balance between organizational control and political realities at the ground level.Satheesan, a six-time MLA from Paravur in Ernakulam district, was ultimately seen as a candidate with wide public acceptability, strong coalition support and deep grassroots support.Soon after being elected, Satheesan attempted to convey a message of unity within the party and praised both Venugopal and Chennithala.Satheesan said after the announcement, “I don’t see this post as a personal achievement… It was Venugopal who coordinated all the activities (and) his support was huge. Chennithala is also my leader.”“I will take them all into my confidence,” he said, adding, “I want the support of people from every section of the society… Only collective effort can create a new Kerala. No one can do it alone…”Venugopal also publicly accepted the decision and supported the party line.“Satheesan has been appointed chief minister. I was saying that the decision of the high command will be accepted and it is my responsibility to ensure that the decision is respected and implemented,” he told reporters.Satheesan’s rise to the top post has also been marred by years of internal political fighting within the Kerala Congress. After missing out on a ministerial berth in the cabinet headed by Oommen Chandy in 2011 and later losing the race for the post of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief in 2016, Satheesan once again found himself in a tough competition against senior leaders like KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala.Despite leading the Congress-led UDF to a landslide victory in the assembly, Satheesan was reportedly not the party high command’s automatic choice for the post of chief minister. Party insiders pointed to familiar concerns that had surfaced during earlier leadership contests, including his strained relationship with influential community lobbies, limited support within sections of the national leadership, and his outspoken political style, which often irritated even his own party leaders.In 2011, when Satheesan was denied a ministerial berth in the Oommen Chandy government, his “attitude” was widely cited as a reason in party circles. Unlike many leaders who actively sought support from influential community organizations such as the Nair Service Society, Satheesan was seen as reluctant to engage in lobbying for positions, a quality that contributed to his image as an independent-minded but uncompromising leader.However, the real test for Congress in Kerala will begin after the celebrations. The past 10 days have exposed the depth of factional friction within the party, even amid its biggest victory in the state in a decade. For now, Satheesan has moved quickly to show unity and Venugopal has publicly accepted the high command’s decision. However, senior leader Chennithala has not been active since the CM’s announcement.In the coming days, as Satheesan forms the government, it will be worth watching whether all the frontrunners fall in line to ensure a stable UDF government for five years, or whether the Kerala Congress faces a Karnataka-style feud similar to the rivalry between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar.