Blog: Kerala Mandate Was For VD Satheesan, Not For KC Venugopal Or Ramesh Chennithala

The dust has settled on a historic landslide victory for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, but the echoes of the subsequent political drama are still ringing through the streets of Malayali heartlands. For a few tense days, the air was thick with reports that AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal was positioning himself to “parachute” into the Chief Minister’s chair. While that insistence has reportedly evaporated, the very fact that it occurred serves as the ultimate validation of one truth: the seat belongs to VD Satheesan, and to no one else.

To understand why this power play was such a colossal miscalculation, we must look at the “behavioural vaccine” that the Kerala electorate has developed against high-handed “High Command” politics of Pinarayi Vijayan. The people didn’t just vote for a change in government; they voted for a specific brand of leadership that was forged in the trenches, not in the air-conditioned corridors of Delhi.

The Tactical Mirage of K.C. Venugopal

If you look closely on the happenings and the quotes of KC Venugopal (KC), you will find what were his motivations. KC is no stranger to the inner workings of the party, and he likely knew from the outset that the grassroots cadres would never accept a leader who didn’t lead the charge on the ground. So, why the drama?

It appears this was a tactical maneuver—a “profitable deal” designed to showcase his influence to the High Command. By creating a narrative where he “sacrificed” his claim for the sake of party discipline, he sought to tighten his grip on the Center and ensure total control over the selection of the state’s cabinet.

However, the cost of this “tactical move” has been immense. In just five days, KC managed to:

Reignite the embers of groupism that had been dormant for five years.

Create cracks in the harmonious alliance between the Congress and the Muslim League.

Alienate the very voters who dreamt of the vision VD Satheesan spent half a decade articulating.

Make many followers and non-followers of Congress to think that their choice inside the polling booth was a mistake.

In just five days, KC managed to reignite the embers of groupism that had been dormant for five years and also created cracks in the harmonious alliance between the Congress and the Muslim League.

This was not leadership; it was an audit of ego. The people of Kerala are now subjecting KC to a rigorous public audit, looking back at his “services” in Tamil Nadu, Bengal, and Assam—states where the Congress has struggled. That audit never stopped at the recent elections; on the other hand people started to dig more on the report card of the General Secretary in charge of Organisation since January 2019, from he assumed the office.

There is one more conversation on the ground now: if KC goes to any constituency to contest as Chief Minister, the workers will reach there and will try their best to defeat him. And about the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency, which he represents in the Parliament, will be an easy walkover for BJP if there is a byelection.

If the maneuverings were KC’s attempt to solidify his legacy, it may well become his political Waterloo.

The Failure of the Old Guard: The Criticism of Ramesh Chennithala

While KC Venugopal has been the primary target of public ire, we must not overlook the role of the “Group Managers” and the old guard, specifically Ramesh Chennithala (RC). For years, the Congress in Kerala was paralysed by the ‘A’ and ‘I’ groups. VD Satheesan’s greatest achievement as Leader of the Opposition was the dismantling of this factionalism in favor of “Team UDF.” What one photojournalist’s camera caught from Mukul Vasnik’s hand showed the clout and following KC controls, while the names which weren’t visible on that sheet never showed the RC followers. This writer overheard in a tea shop that “if VD Satheesan was aware of the group formulas, he would have made arrangements for one of his own.”

Criticism of RC is not just warranted; it is necessary. Instead of standing as a pillar of support for the man who actually delivered the victory, RC has allowed himself to be a pawn (or a player) in a game of numbers.

Instead of standing as a pillar of support for the man who actually delivered the victory, RC has allowed himself to be a pawn (or a player) in a game of numbers.

The arguments against RC are many. One, he was never a performer as an opposition leader; two, he might make compromises, like as he allegedly did during his tenure as home minister; three, Ramesh Chennithala was not in the picture and only gained attention after the post election analysis predicted a UDF victory.

When leaders like RC prioritise their factional strength over the public’s clear mandate for Satheesan, they make a mockery of the voters. They tell the people that their choice at the ballot box is secondary to the egos of the “senior leaders.” This is the same path that led the Left wing to its current fallen state—suppressing public interest for the sake of internal party justice.

VD Satheesan: The Leader Who Earned It

The contrast could not be sharper. While others were calculating MLA counts in luxury hotels, VD Satheesan was enduring “the sun, rain, and mist” for five years. He didn’t just lead the opposition; he gave the Congress worker a reason to hold their head high again.

He didn’t just lead the opposition; he gave the Congress worker a reason to hold their head high again.

Satheesan is the architect of this victory. He built the “Team UDF” concept from scratch, fostering a sense of cohesion that the people of Kerala found refreshing after years of monolithic rule. To “hold a knife to the throat” of such a leader is not just a betrayal of the party; it is a betrayal of the democratic spirit.

As one worker poignantly wrote, there is a sense of shame in having shouted slogans for leaders who now try to “buy” MLAs and sideline the one who actually toiled. Satheesan represents a “behavioural vaccine” against the old, arrogant style of functioning. He is the symbol of a modern, responsive Congress.

The Ghost of Andhra Pradesh: A Warning from History

The High Command’s penchant for “parachute” Chief Ministers has a dark and cautionary history. Look no further than Andhra Pradesh in 2009.

After the tragic death of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), a leader of immense popularity, the people and the majority of the cabinet clamored for his son, Jagan Mohan Reddy. Jagan had the pulse of the people; he was the natural successor to YSR’s secular and pro-marginalized legacy.

Instead of listening to the “screaming millions,” the High Command—specifically AK Antony and Veerappa Moily—appointed Rosaiah, a 76-year-old leader with little public resonance. They snubbed Jagan again later with Kiran Kumar Reddy. The result?

Jagan formed his own party.

The Congress was literally wiped out of Andhra Pradesh.

The BJP found a foothold in Telangana that it never would have had otherwise.

The price for the High Command’s “brilliance” in Andhra was 31 MPs. Kerala stands on a similar precipice. If the leadership chooses a “parachute” CM or allows leaders like RC to undermine the popular choice, they aren’t just losing a seat; they are risking the extinction of the party in one of its last remaining bastions.

There is also a larger Gen-Z and youth question. In Satheesan, these two groups saw a leader and individual with whom they can connect – someone who reads, thinks, opposes religious and communal groups, and a person who made promises they could relate. If Congress is deliberately disconnect these aspirations, there wait another larger problem for them: the BJP is getting more powerful with luring these groups.

In psychology, we talk about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how they lead to intergenerational trauma. In politics, we see “Adverse Leadership Experiences”—the trauma of being ignored, sidelined, and betrayed by one’s own leaders. This trauma, if not addressed, travels to the next generation of workers and voters.

Now, the “vaccine” for the Congress in Kerala is simple: Respect the mandate. Breaking the cycle of intergenerational political trauma—the cycle of groupism, ego, and Delhi-centric dictates—is not a one-time act. It happens when the leadership chooses connection over control. It happens when they realize that the story of this election didn’t start in a Delhi bungalow; it started in the homes of Kerala’s citizens who were promised a vision by VD Satheesan.

KC Venugopal, reportedly, may have stepped back, but the damage to his reputation is significant. He and Ramesh Chennithala must understand that Kerala society looks upon power-hungry maneuvers with contempt. We may not have chosen the political baggage we inherited from the eras of Karunakaran and others, but we can choose what we pass on to the next generation of Keralites.

True healing for the Congress, and true progress for Kerala, begins by seating the man the people actually elected. Anything else is just a recipe for a Waterloo.