Cong’s Satheesan to be LoP in Kerala Assembly
The 56-year-old replaces Chennithala who has also been re-elected as MLA
After suffering a mauling in the Assembly election from Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF in Kerala, the Congress on Saturday appointed five-time MLA V.D. Satheesan as new Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.
The party’s high command’s decision nominating the 56-year-old Satheesan as new opposition leader was announced by KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran here.
He replaced senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, who was also re-elected as MLA from his seat Haripad in Alappuzha district. Satheesan, elected from Paravur Assembly seat in Ernakulam district, will lead a 41-member Congress-led UDF in the state Assembly against the CPI(M)-led LDF, which retained power in the recent Assembly polls by winning 99 seats, bucking the trend of alternating between two coalitions.
“The AICC has nominated Satheesan as the leader of the party’s parliamentary party in Kerala assembly.
“The KPCC wishes him all success,” Ramachandran told reporters.
According sources, the to Congres decision to make a generational change in the parliamentary party was taken considering the severe drubbing of the party-led UDF in the Assembly polls led by party veterans including former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Chennithala and Ramachandran.
The young leaders of the party, particularly a section from the youth congress, conducted a campaign seeking removal of the old guard from the party’s state leadership to make it relevant in state politics.
Senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge and V. Vaidyalingam had visited the state seeking the opinion of the MLAs and MPs on who should be entrusted with the post of Leader of Opposition for the next five years.
The old guard of the party in the state including Chandy had argued for the continuation of Chennithala in the post.
The pressure from the veterans delayed the decision in the selection of the new Leader of Opposition, the sources said.
Finally, the high command took a tough decision to infuse fresh blood into the system, nominating Satheesan to the key post.