‘Party is everything’: KC Venugopal, VD Satheesan project unity ahead of swearing-in

Days after V D Satheesan emerged as the Chief Minister-designate following a closely watched leadership race with senior Congress leader K C Venugopal, the two held a 20-minute meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, seeking to put to rest speculation over differences within the party. In their first meeting after the chief ministerial announcement, Satheesan and Venugopal also addressed the media together and dismissed reports of any discord during the party’s leadership deliberations.

Both Venugopal and senior Congress leader and Haripad MLA Ramesh Chennithala were reportedly disappointed over the party’s decision to choose Satheesan as the next Chief Minister.

“For us, the party is everything. Once the party takes a decision, we will stand by it and work wholeheartedly for its success,” Venugopal told the media on Saturday. “The people of Kerala have huge expectations from the UDF government. There are several issues affecting ordinary people, and it is the responsibility of the government led by V D Satheesan to address them. As a Congress worker, I will extend him my full support,” he said. Venugopal also said that any differences among party workers would be resolved collectively by the organisation.

Satheesan, meanwhile, reiterated that he shares a close working relationship with Venugopal, who currently serves as the AICC general secretary. “K C Venugopal plays a major role in communicating the decisions taken in Kerala to the AICC leadership in Delhi and securing approvals when needed,” Satheesan said.

“There is a strong bond between us. Before making major decisions about the party and its affairs, we always discuss them together. There are no issues between us that cannot be resolved through discussion,” he added.

Satheesan also described the Congress’ leadership selection process as an example of internal democracy. He praised Venugopal for maintaining neutrality in leadership decisions in several states despite holding a powerful organisational role in the party. “Everybody knows that K C Venugopal has always acted impartially while playing crucial roles in selecting chief ministers and ministers in various states,” he said.

On cabinet formation, Satheesan said discussions with senior party leaders were progressing rapidly, and the list of ministers would be submitted to the Governor by Sunday afternoon. “Congress has a leadership capable of making decisions quickly. Many did not expect that the Chief Minister and the 20-member Cabinet would take the oath on Monday itself. That reflects the speed and efficiency of our discussions,” he said.

In recent days, Satheesan has also made several conciliatory political gestures aimed at projecting unity and inclusiveness. He met former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram and later visited Ramesh Chennithala. The meetings were widely viewed as efforts to reassure senior leaders and maintain political harmony.

In another sign of political outreach, BJP state president and Nemom MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that he had received an invitation from Satheesan to attend the swearing-in ceremony and confirmed that BJP leaders would participate in the event. The swearing-in ceremony of the new UDF government is scheduled for 10 am on Monday at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

In the recently concluded Assembly elections, the UDF secured a decisive victory, winning 102 of 140 seats. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) won 35 seats, while the BJP secured three seats.