The political journey of V D Satheesan, the quintessential Congressman, has been a rollercoaster of dramatic shifts. Despite being a shining star during his tenures in the KSU and Youth Congress, he was repeatedly denied the presidencies of both organisations. Even in 2011, a ministerial berth that seemed certain slipped through his fingers.

Satheesan himself later admitted to the deep disappointment he felt at the time, attributing these setbacks to the lack of "godfathers" within the party to protect his interests. After years of missing out on positions at the very last moment—often described as a slip "between the cup and the lip"—he has finally been appointed as the Captain of Kerala’s 16th Ministry.

Satheesan entered this election with a bold declaration: if he could not lead the UDF back to power with a strong majority, he would retire from active politics. This confidence was backed by meticulous groundwork at the grassroots level. He predicted that the UDF would secure over 100 seats and that a dozen sitting ministers would face defeat. Every Congress worker drew inspiration from his conviction, and when the results were declared on May 4th, his predictions proved remarkably accurate. However, just as it seemed certain that he would be the next Chief Minister, unexpected complications arose.

The names of Ramesh Chennithala and K C Venugopal—the national face of the party—emerged as contenders alongside Satheesan. This triggered a "flex-board war" among supporters, a spectacle that drew public mockery even as the Congress celebrated a historic victory with 102 seats.

To resolve the deadlock, the High Command dispatched observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik to Kerala to gauge the opinion of the MLAs. Initial reports suggesting that a majority of MLAs backed K C Venugopal left the Satheesan camp disheartened.

The focus then shifted to the national capital, where intense political manoeuvres took place. The observers submitted their report to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Key UDF allies weighed in: the Muslim League formally proposed Satheesan’s name, while the Kerala Congress (Joseph) insisted that the Chief Minister must be chosen from the elected MLAs.

Days of marathon discussions followed. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge held individual meetings with Venugopal, Satheesan and Chennithala. Senior state leaders were summoned to Delhi for consultations. Meanwhile, senior leader Ramesh Chennithala was reportedly upset after the High Command tipped V D Satheesan as the frontrunner for the post, reflecting the deep-seated internal friction that persisted until the final announcement.

The decisive stance of V M Sudheeran

Ultimately, veteran leader V M Sudheeran’s firm stance proved pivotal in securing the Chief Minister’s post for V D Satheesan. He was strongly supported by former KPCC presidents Mullappally Ramachandran and K Muraleedharan, who argued that Satheesan was the most deserving candidate. Sudheeran informed Rahul Gandhi that the groundswell of support for Satheesan reflected the genuine will of the people and warned that ignoring this sentiment would damage the party. He also cautioned that any decision leading to a potential by-election would be detrimental. These interventions were instrumental in swaying the High Command in Satheesan's favour.