A day after V D Satheesan was appointed Kerala Chief Minister, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Friday made his first public response, welcoming the Congress High Command’s decision and pledging full support to the new leadership.
Speaking to the media around 2 am during a visit to the Guruvayur Temple, Chennithala said the Congress and UDF cadre would stand firmly behind Satheesan as the state prepares for a political transition after a decade of LDF rule.
“I welcome the decision made by Congress High Command. I believe V D Satheesan will have the full support of Congress and UDF workers. I also believe full support will be given to him to liberate the public from 10 years of LDF rule. This is the responsibility of his government. For that, I ask people to support him,” Chennithala said.
The remarks come amid reports that Chennithala was initially unhappy with Satheesan being chosen for the top post. Though he was in Thiruvananthapuram at the time the announcement was made on Thursday, he neither addressed the media nor interacted with reporters, triggering speculation over internal differences within the party.
Sources indicated that Chennithala had written to Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, informing him that he would not attend the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, while assuring complete support to Satheesan’s leadership. Party insiders also said the AICC leadership is keen on bringing Chennithala into the new cabinet, although the senior leader is reportedly reluctant at this stage. Discussions are said to be ongoing at the High Command level regarding his role in the upcoming government.
As political developments in Kerala continued to dominate headlines, Malayali audiences across the UAE closely followed the updates through Gold 101.3 FM, UAE’s No.1 radio station .
Chennithala had emerged as one of the prominent contenders for the Chief Minister’s post following the Congress-led UDF’s electoral success. However, he later recused himself from the race, publicly stating that he would abide by whatever decision the Congress High Command arrived at. Following his withdrawal, the contest was effectively narrowed down to Satheesan and K C Venugopal.
After nearly 11 days of intense consultations and internal deliberations, the Congress High Command on Thursday officially announced Satheesan as Kerala’s new Chief Minister. The announcement was made in New Delhi by Deepa Dasmunshi, who declared Satheesan as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party.
Responding after the announcement, Satheesan said the Indian National Congress had entrusted him with a major responsibility and assured that the new government would work to address public concerns and strengthen governance in the state.
