Voter turnout that is crucial for Kerala Opposition Leader VD Satheesan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: This is the first important Lok Sabha election for Opposition Leader VD Satheesan since he was elected Congress Legislative Party Leader in 2021. The pressure is now on Satheesan to demonstrate his mettle in the Lok Sabha election, where his goal is a clean sweep of all 20 seats, after the period of Oommen Chandy-Ramesh Chennithala. If such is the case, Satheesan will have an advantage over other candidates in the rat race for the Chief Minister position in the 2026 Assembly election.

Satheesan was given more responsibilities after Congress state president K. Sudhakaran was compelled to defend his Kannur Lok Sabha seat. Presently serving in two capacities is UDF convener M. M. Hassan, who is also in charge of the Congress state president. Unfortunately, the party has always suffered from organizational weakness, and this is still the case today. One thing that has hurt Congress is the delay in selecting the Mandalam presidents. However, a former state president of the Congress told TNIE, speaking anonymously, that Satheesan ought to be grateful to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan since the anti-incumbency movement has simply brought attention to the organizational shortcomings.

During the two by-elections in Puthupally and Thrikkakara, Satheesan headed the party. It was possible to bring in the whole party apparatus there, which sealed the win. However, Satheesan now has the responsibility of making sure he surpasses the 19 seats the UDF gained in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. A former Congress state president said, “I would say that Satheesan is lucky because the anti-incumbency has turned into a crucial factor in favour of him.”

However, other officials do not want to give Satheesan the credit he deserves and instead believe that K. C Venugopal, the general secretary of the All-India Congress Committee, is the architect behind the 2024 Lok Sabha election. It simply serves to highlight how difficult Satheesan’s path to victory in the 2026 Assembly election will be. According to TNIE, a seasoned Congress politician, Venugopal has a powerful influence when it comes to selecting the candidate, allocating finances, and establishing the campaign schedule.

“Venu wants to win 20/20 seats in the next general election. In addition, he should be proud of himself, as he has stood strong amid the senior Congressmen who have left the party in recent years, accusing him of being responsible for the defeat. An experienced Congress politician said, “If Venu wins handily, the credit will go in his favor; if not, the barometer will turn against Satheesan.”

After the Lok Sabha election, there’s a potential for a top-level organizational makeover. Yet, it also relies on the results of the poll.