VD Satheesan says avoiding Congress faction of his own helped UDF win in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan opens up to Malayala Manorama.

Q: Did these 11 days of uncertainty take a heavy emotional toll on you?
A: Not at all. I had the satisfaction of having carried out the responsibility entrusted to me by the Congress leadership effectively. The rest was for the national leadership to decide.

Q: Don’t you think the decision took too long?
A: I do not agree with that view. Where else, other than in Congress, does such a democratic process take place? After the Legislature Party authorised the party president to take a decision, the high command held discussions with all key leaders. This was not about any individual leader appointing someone of their choice. I am proud of my party. Such processes would never take place in the CPM or the BJP.

Q: Someone who hasn’t even been a minister is becoming Chief Minister and is suddenly being addressed as ‘CM’. What is going through your mind?
A: It is hard to come to terms with it. But I have the confidence of having spent a quarter of a century in the Assembly. I have always been a legislator who tried to understand matters across all departments and emerging issues.

Q: But there are also some who criticise you for lacking administrative experience… 
A: I am a confident person, and I will quickly grasp the issues at hand. I firmly believe I will be able to lead accordingly. No one can do this alone; what truly matters is the team. My effort will be to move forward in coordination with a team comprising ministers, MLAs and officials.

Q: KC and RC are close to you. Yet you had to compete with them for the Chief Minister’s post?
A: Both of them are deserving of the Chief Minister’s post. They are senior leaders with greater experience than me. However, the decision was taken based on several criteria. I have been in touch with both of them and I will have their support and assistance. I will move forward only after consulting them and no decision will be taken unilaterally.

Q: Some say it was the support of coalition partners more than that of Congress MLAs that helped you, isn’t it?
A: They would have supported me as well. When all coalition partners stand together, that is certainly a plus point. The alliance has witnessed an unprecedented level of unity. All Congress MLAs are dear to me and I share a very good relationship with each of them.

Q: Why do you think public sentiment has turned so strongly in your favour in recent days?
A: We have reached 102 from just 41 seats. The Congress, which had 21 seats earlier, has more than tripled its strength. We were able to instil confidence in both the alliance and the public that we would cross the 100-seat mark. The prediction that more than a dozen ministers would lose also proved accurate.  It is after victories in the Lok Sabha, local body and by-elections that we have achieved this final outcome.. The public may have taken note of the fact that I played a role in steering the alliance from a series of defeats to a series of victories through coordination.

Q: Did your stance on some issues also play a role in influencing them?
A: I had said I would retire from politics if we lost. That was said to boost the confidence of the alliance.I had full faith that the secular positions I adopted would be accepted by Kerala, which is itself secular in spirit.

Q: Did some of the reactions during the delay, when it seemed you might not be favoured, surprise you?
A: The support was truly overwhelming. I have never seen myself as a popular leader and I am aware of my limitations. I am not a great leader like K Karunakaran, A K Antony or Oommen Chandy, who all hold a very special place in people’s hearts. I am grateful to God for giving me this opportunity to be loved by the people.

Q: Was it this popular support that most influenced the High Command’s decision?
A: I don’t know. I believe it must have been a decision taken after considering all factors.

Q: Did your firm stance on certain issues distance you from people close to you? And will your style as Chief Minister be more inclusive going forward?
A:  It was in organisational matters that I became strict. An alliance that has been repeatedly defeated cannot start winning unless everyone puts in the work. I have stood by those who worked and pulled up those who did not. In general, I have always tried to treat everyone well. Going forward, I will be even more humble.

Q: This is also the first time someone without a group of their own in Congress is becoming the Chief Minister. Was that a conscious decision not to form one?
A: I am happy about that. If I had tried to form a faction of my own, the UDF would not have won. My group would have existed, but the alliance would have lost.

Q: Will cabinet formation be a bigger challenge? And what will be the criteria?
A: There will be no problem at all. Everything will be completed through discussion and in a smooth manner. The Chief Minister will be the first among ministers. I will move forward by taking everyone along.