By Rahil Nora Chopra
The decision of the Congress to appoint V D Satheesan as Kerala’s next chief minister has subtly underlined Priyanka Gandhi’s growing influence in Congress decision-making, particularly in Kerala politics, after becoming MP from Wayanad. The Congress leadership held various rounds of discussions involving top leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, AK Antony and senior Kerala figures before arriving at a consensus on the CM face. The IUML, the UDF’s most important ally, was evident as favouring Satheesan. Workers rallied for him. MLAs reportedly faced anger in their constituencies. Posters appeared in Wayanad and Kozhikode warning Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi against imposing Venugopal. The broad lines of the contest are clear. Rahul Gandhi was seen as leaning towards Venugopal. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra favoured Satheesan, while Sonia Gandhi was viewed as more sympathetic to Ramesh Chennithala. Of course, Satheesan, a six-time MLA and one of the party’s most popular faces in the state, is widely credited as the architect of the party-led front’s emphatic 102-seat victory, driven by an aggressive campaign and the forging of a broad umbrella coalition. He also spearheaded the Opposition’s attack on the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government over corruption allegations, governance issues and economic concerns across key political platforms. Now Satheesan, the ‘people’s choice’, is the head of the new government, whereas Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s played a prominent role in Satheesan’s appointment.
BJP KICKSTARTS UP ASSEMBLY POLL PREP AFTER BIHAR, BENGAL, ASSAM WINS
The victories attained by BJP in Maharashtra, Bihar and West Bengal have altogether twisted the political mood ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, raising the stakes for both Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Partychief Akhilesh Yadav. In a bid to blunt the PDA (backwards, Dalits, minorities) push of the Samajwadi Party in the run up to the next big battle, BJP has inducted six new ministers with leaders from non-Yadav OBC, Dalit and upper-caste communities in an attempt to broaden its social coalition and counter SP. The reshuffle has been framed around a clear social engineering template rather than experimentation, with the BJP aiming to maintain a calibrated caste balance. The focus is around Brahmin, Jat, Dalit, Pasi, Valmiki, Lodh and other backward communities, as the party strengthens its organisational pitch ahead of 2027. Meanwhile, for Akhilesh Yadav, the 2027 election is likely to be a crucial contest. After defeats in the 2017 and 2022 Assembly elections, the Samajwadi Party’s gains in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls revived the party’s prospects. Akhilesh Yadav is expected to continue with the PDA formula that helped the SP expand beyond its traditional Yadav-Muslim base in 2024. However, the SP still experiences numerous challenges on the ground.
CM SIDDA TO VISIT DELHI SOON, HOLD TALKS WITH CONGRESS TOP BRASS
With the appointment of V D Satheesan as Kerala’s next chief minister by the Congress, evidently much political activity within Karnataka’s Congress camp has gained pace, triggering fresh speculation over a possible cabinet reshuffle. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is planning to visit Delhi and is expected to hold detailed discussions with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others. The immediate trigger is the void left by the death of minister D Sudhakar, and two other existing vacancies. Pressure is mounting for a full-scale cabinet overhaul that accommodates regional, caste and factional balances, while rewarding political loyalty. However, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is eyeing the Chief Minister’s post, is opposed to the reshuffle.
AFTER PM MODI’S APPEAL, DELHI CM REKHA GUPTA LAUNCHES AUSTERITY MOVES
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to people of the country in view of the West Asia crisis, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta has launched a ‘Mera Bharat Mera Yogdan’ public campaign to promote austerity measures to conserve fuel and save foreign exchange. As part of the campaign, CM Gupta announced several measures, besides work from home, staggered office timings, ban on major government events for three months and foreign travel for one year. She said that government employees will be working from home for two days a week and private companies will also be asked to allow two-day work from home. She further said that her ministers will travel via metro on every Monday and announced staggered office timings as such measures aims to reduce the traffic congestion.
IUML MAY SECURE FIVE BERTHS IN NEW KERALA CABINET, EYES EDUCATION
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key ally in the Congress-led UDF, is expected to secure five ministerial berths in the new Kerala cabinet. While the party is keen on attaining the Education portfolio, it remains uncertain whether the Congress, as the leading party in the alliance, will allocate the department to the IUML this time. Speculation remains strong over Kunhalikutty’s inclusion in the Cabinet, with his name being widely discuss for the post of Deputy Chief Minister. (IPA Service)
