Kerala politics highlights: Satheesan meets Pinarayi Vijayan, calls on senior leaders in Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala CM-designate V.D. Satheesan connected Friday (May 15, 2026) defended Congress state and the UDF spouse Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), saying it played a decisive relation successful the confederation triumph and was besides a large deterrent against communal forces successful the State.

The Congress person said that anyone accusing the IUML of being communal was trying to make a disagreement successful Kerala. The League was 1 of the large backers of Mr. Satheesan for the station of Chief Miniter and has faced sizeable flak from assorted quarters implicit it.

The CM-designate besides accused the BJP, which has been attacking the IUML and accusing it of interfering successful the Chief Minister enactment process, of spreading hatred and divisiveness astatine the nationalist and State level. - PTI

Kerala Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan visited elder Congress person Ramesh Chennithala.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar connected Friday wished “all the best” to Kerala Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan and said that determination were different precise elder leaders successful the race, but the Congress enactment zeroed connected him for the apical post.

“I privation him (Satheesan) each the best. But inactive determination were precise elder leaders. Three leaders were determination (in the contention for CM). All are precise capable, each are efficient. But the enactment has decided connected Satheesan. I privation him each the best,” Mr. Shivakumar told reporters here.

- PTI

Senior Congress person K. Muraleedharan connected Friday (May 15, 2026) said Ramesh Chennithala should beryllium included successful the Cabinet arsenic a Minister, adding that the enactment enactment is successful interaction with him.

Mr. Chennithala, who was successful the contention for the Kerala Chief Minister’s post, near his residence soon aft V.D. Satheesan was selected by the Congress precocious bid connected Thursday (May 14, 2026).

Speaking to reporters aft a darshan astatine Sree Krishna temple here, Mr. Muraleedharan said Mr. Satheesan was chosen aft consultations with Congress MLAs, MPs and elder leaders, including erstwhile KPCC presidents.

- PTI

Kerala’s Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan connected Friday (May 15, 2026) stated that his authorities would effort to cushion the outgo of surviving crisis, including higher commuting and freight costs, driven by the latest hike successful substance prices precipitated by the warfare successful West Asia.

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Senior Congress person Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan connected Friday (May 15, 2026) said that CM-designate V.D. Satheesan volition decidedly beryllium a bully Chief Minister arsenic helium has the vision, competence and spot for it.

Mr. Radhakrishnan besides said that determination needs to beryllium a “team” which tin enactment to fulfil the nationalist expectations and it has to beryllium formed by the “captain” with the concurrence of the cardinal leadership.

“All I person to accidental is that the squad should comprise of prime radical who are committed to moving efficiently. That is each I person to say,” helium emphasised.

- PTI

Keralam Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan connected Friday (May 15, 2026) said the radical of Kerala person sent a beardown connection successful favour of secularism done the Assembly predetermination verdict and asserted that attempts to dispersed hatred successful the State would not succeed.

Addressing reporters successful Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Satheesan said, “Some radical are trying to commencement the hatred run successful Kerala. This is secular Kerala. The effect of this predetermination is simply a declaration of Kerala radical to the full state that our authorities is secular. We volition support it that way.”

Responding to disapproval from the BJP’s Kerala unit, helium said the ideological conflict betwixt the Congress and the BJP revolves astir preserving secular values. “They are ever trying to marque hatred campaigns. That is their job. Our occupation is to support the secular credentials. That is the ideological combat betwixt BJP and Congress,” helium said.

- ANI

Kerala Congress (Jacob) main Anoop Jacob connected Friday (May 15, 2026) said that confederation partners successful the UDF expect practice successful the authorities Cabinet arsenic discussions connected its enactment are acceptable to begin.

Kerala Congress (Jacob) contested lone the Piravom constituency, with Jacob emerging arsenic the party’s sole MLA.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Jacob, lad of erstwhile Minister T.M. Jacob, said talks connected sharing Cabinet berths would commence astatine the UDF gathering scheduled for Friday (May 15, 2026) evening.

“The treatment connected Ministers volition travel up during the UDF gathering to beryllium held astatine 4 p.m. As of now, we are lone starting the discussions,” helium said.

When asked whether a 2.5-year rotational statement for ministerial berths was being considered, helium said specified discussions had not begun.

- PTI

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph connected Thursday (May 14, 2026) said enactment workers successful Kerala invited the Congress leadership’s determination selecting V.D. Satheesan arsenic person of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP).

The United Democratic Front (UDF)’s apical enactment gathering astatine the Cantonment House successful Thiruvananthapuram connected Friday (May 15) volition apt laic retired the contours of the adjacent Kerala Cabinet. 

The UDF is seeking to crook the leafage connected the uncertainty that gripped the confederation pursuing the Congress’s ten-day hold successful choosing its Chief Ministerial campaigner by fast-tracking the authorities enactment process. 

According to Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) insiders privy to the authorities enactment process, the Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan volition apt invitation elder person Ramesh Chennithala to articulation the Cabinet. 

- G. Anand

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At slightest transiently connected Thursday (May 14), the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s level of unity, which delivered the confederation an bonzer electoral triumph, appeared shaky aft Mr. Chennithala skipped the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) gathering chaired by Mr. Satheesan and went incommunicado aft the precocious bid tapped Mr. Satheesan for the apical post.