Two months in, Kerala CM V D Satheesan faces first signs of discontent

The latest flashpoint centres on Satheesan’s handling of the Congress’s student wing, the Kerala Students Union (KSU). The controversy erupted after KSU state president Aloshious Xavier objected to the appointment of an advocate with an alleged CPI(M) background as government counsel in the High Court.

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Satheesan, who also holds the Law portfolio, rejected the objection and publicly asserted that the KSU had no role in deciding such appointments. On Friday, while attending a public event in Kochi, he also drew criticism from sections of the party for allegedly failing to acknowledge the waiting KSU leader.

In what was widely seen as a rebuke to Satheesan’s approach towards party workers, senior Congress leader V M Sudheeran backed Xavier. Addressing a public function in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, Sudheeran described the KSU leader as “a man of probity” with the courage to speak the truth and urged him to continue doing so without fear.

Venugopal also weighed in on the issue, saying nothing should be done that causes pain to party workers. “The party will examine the grievances raised by the KSU,” he said.

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Saturday, which marked the third death anniversary of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, also saw state Congress spokesperson V R Anoop make an indirect swipe at Satheesan. “He (Chandy) never turned power into arrogance. He never feared criticism. He never harboured hatred towards those who disagreed with him,” he wrote in a post on Facebook.

KPCC general secretary P M Niyas similarly stressed the importance of accepting criticism. “The strength of an organisation lies not in rejecting criticism but in accepting it and making corrections. The maturity and credibility of leadership are demonstrated only when lapses are acknowledged and addressed. Those who insult the KSU are not merely disparaging an organisation; they are insulting the sacrifices and memories of its martyrs. The KSU is not just an organisation. It is an emotion and a conviction,” he said.

Niyas had earlier opposed the appointment of N Seshadrinanthan as State Election Commissioner, alleging that the nominee had links to the Sangh Parivar. Satheesan did not act on those objections.

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A section of Congress leaders believes Satheesan has increasingly sidelined the party organisation and become less receptive to criticism from within. They point to the contrast with his own role during the previous Congress government headed by Chandy. As one of its most outspoken internal critics, Satheesan had then argued that neither age nor seniority was a prerequisite for questioning or correcting a party-led government.

During his five-year tenure as the Leader of the Opposition, Satheesan repeatedly projected the idea of collective leadership under the slogan “Team UDF”. Even then, his growing influence within the Congress was widely seen as eclipsing the role of the then KPCC president K Sudhakaran. The current KPCC chief, Sunny Joseph, who has expressed his willingness to step down following his induction into the Cabinet, has similarly remained in Satheesan’s shadow.

Most of the controversies that have confronted the government in its brief tenure have arisen from decisions taken either by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) or departments directly handled by Satheesan. Equally striking is the fact that senior Congress leaders and Cabinet colleagues have largely refrained from publicly defending the CM.