Kochi: Following a massive victory for the United Democratic Front (UDF), Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan was accorded a thunderous reception by the Congress workers in Ernakulam on Tuesday. According to the railway police, around 5,000 supporters have flooded the platforms and premises of Ernakulam Junction railway station, where Satheesan arrived on a Vande Bharat train from Thiruvananthapuram around 6.40 pm. The jubilant celebrations were underscored by an intensifying internal power struggle within the Congress party over the Chief Ministerial post.

 The enthusiasm of the supporters reached a fever pitch as workers raised and placed Satheesan onto their shoulders, chanting “Mukhyamanthri Satheesha” (Chief Minister Satheesan).

However, the massive turnout, which included supporters from across the district, reportedly led to minor property damage at the station. Security scanners at the entrance were damaged under the pressure of the crowd. Also, a Congress worker from North Paravur, who came to welcome Satheesan, collapsed in the suffocating rush and required medical attention.

“It took a high number of personnel from Railway Police, Railway Protection Force and local police stations to manage the crowd. The collapsed worker was immediately taken to the station's medical centre for first aid and regained consciousness. There are reports of damage caused to the station amid the rush, but we have not received any complaints,” said a Railway Police officer. 

From the station, Satheesan proceeded to the District Congress Committee (DCC) office, where the celebrations continued. He was received by a lineup of senior leaders led by DCC President and Kochi constituency's MLA-elect Mohammed Shiyas.

The victory was marked with a cake-cutting ceremony attended by Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, Perumbavoor MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly, Kochi Mayor VK Minimol, among others. While the event was framed as a celebration of the party’s electoral performance, the political subtext was hard to ignore, with the leaders and workers in Ernakulam appearing to consolidate firmly behind Satheesan. 

The reception took place against the backdrop of a “flex-board war” and internal friction within the Congress. In recent days, the state has witnessed a surge in public lobbying by various factions, each promoting their own candidate for the Chief Minister’s chair:

Satheesan's supporters point to his aggressive leadership in the assembly and his strategies and political stance leading to the victory as reasons for him to lead the state.

A powerful faction within the AICC and the state unit has been pushing for the AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal's return to state politics, with posters appearing in several districts hailing him as the “architect of the victory.”

Senior loyalists of the former Leader of the Opposition, Ramesh Chennithala, argue that his experience and long-standing service to the party make him the natural choice, leading to public outcries from his supporters who feel he was sidelined. Flex boards have appeared in various parts of the state pushing for all three leaders.