Rahul Backs Favourite, Priyanka Opts Winner: Satheesan Kerala CM After 11 Days of Congress Comedy
By Suresh Unnithan
In what can only be described as a masterclass in self-sabotage, the Congress high command finally remembered that Kerala exists and announced V.D. Satheesan as its Chief Minister nominee — a full 11 days after the people of Kerala gave the UDF a victory loud enough to wake the dead. While Malayalees were celebrating the end of LDF rule with coconut-breaking enthusiasm, Delhi’s royal family was busy conducting one of its signature spiritual exercises: collective confusion.
The delay wasn’t just embarrassing. It was comedy gold. Flex banners fought flex banners, allies issued not-so-veiled threats, MLAs sulked publicly, and the opposition enjoyed 11 days of free entertainment at Congress’s expense. All because the high command couldn’t decide between ground reality and palace loyalty.
At the heart of this farce was Rahul Gandhi, the undisputed king of selective aggression. The man who can thunder against Narendra Modi with fire-and-brimstone rhetoric, who can walk thousands of kilometres in the name of saving democracy, suddenly develops acute decision-making paralysis the moment he has to choose a Chief Minister for a state his party actually won. True to form, Rahul backed his favourite — K.C. Venugopal. Loyalty, after all, must be rewarded, even if it means ignoring the clear pulse of Kerala.
Venugopal is a capable Delhi operator, no doubt. But in this battle, he was the classic outsider — the high command’s blue-eyed boy parachuted into a state that had already chosen its face. Meanwhile, Ramesh Chennithala was politely shown the exit door, proving yet again that in today’s Congress, past service and experience sometimes carry less weight than a good equation with the Family.
And then, like a much-needed breeze in a stuffy Delhi durbar, came Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
While her brother was stuck in endless rounds of “consultations” (the Congress euphemism for avoiding responsibility), Priyanka reportedly read the ground, understood the public mood, and firmly backed V.D. Satheesan. No drama. No flip-flops. No 11-day suspense thriller. Just clear, decisive leadership — something Congress has been starving for.
By any yardstick, this episode has brutally exposed the Rahul vs Priyanka contrast. Rahul excels at dramatic attacks on the BJP. He delivers powerful speeches, makes headlines, and keeps the cadre emotionally charged. But when it comes to the quiet, crucial art of taking firm decisions and leading from the front, he repeatedly falters. Priyanka, on the other hand, has once again shown she possesses a real political spine. She appears willing to back the winner, not just the favourite. She can gauge sentiment and assert herself without buckling under internal pressure.
The result? After 11 days of unnecessary drama, Satheesan — the man who actually slogged as Leader of Opposition, faced the Left’s aggression, and helped steer the party through difficult times — finally got the nod. The same man most Kerala Congress workers, a large section of MLAs, and key allies wanted from Day One.
This entire episode perfectly captures what Congress has become: a once-mighty organisation reduced to a family soap opera production house. A thumping mandate in Kerala was turned into a nail-biting suspense drama because Delhi’s durbar needed time to complete its internal negotiations, loyalty checks, and power-balancing exercises. The LDF and BJP must have been laughing all the way to the bank.
V.D. Satheesan now faces the real challenge. He has a strong mandate and public goodwill, but he also inherits a party famous for groupism and a high command famous for interference. The people of Kerala didn’t vote for more Delhi drama — they voted for governance, development, and an end to the previous regime’s misadventures.
The bigger question, however, is for Congress itself. How many more self-inflicted wounds can the party afford? Every time it wins a state, it seems determined to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory through indecision and favouritism. Rahul’s vocal courage outside rarely translates into decisive leadership inside. Priyanka’s firmness, whenever visible, feels like a refreshing but rare exception.
For now, the comedy is over. Satheesan is the chosen one — not because the high command showed wisdom immediately, but because Priyanka pushed sense over sycophancy.
Kerala is watching. India is watching. And the Congress high command has once again proved that when it comes to turning victory into a joke, few can match their timing and talent.
