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This came after Chennithala, who was a contender for the CM post, was given the home department in VD Satheesan’s cabinet.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala. (PTI/File)
Kerala Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said he had no problems with VD Satheesan being appointed as the new Chief Minister of Kerala, emphasising that the party was more important than personal achievements.
Speaking to CNN-News18, Chennithala said, “It is not a question of my happiness or unhappiness. The party is more important.” He also promised to carry out the responsibilities given by the party with utmost sincerity.
Satheesan announced his Cabinet a day ahead of his swearing-in ceremony, which included Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan and Sunny Joseph. Chennithala has been assigned the important home department of Kerala, which oversees law and order, internal security, and public safety in the state. The alliance has named Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as Speaker of the Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will serve as Deputy Speaker.
Chennithala was a contender for the CM post along with Congress MP KC Venugopal, after the United Democratic Front (UDF) toppled the Left government in the recent election.
‘Spectacular Victory’
Chennithala further told CNN-News18 that the party’s decision was more important than his personal ambition. “People have given their support for the UDF with 102 seats. It’s a spectacular victory. There has to be a proper discussion in a democracy,” he said.
This came after reports that Chennithala may not join the cabinet after he was denied the CM post. after he skipped the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting in Thiruvananthapuram. The Congress high command is believed to have asked Satheesan to include him in the cabinet in an effort to ease tensions.
Chennithala has a decades-long experience in the Kerala Congress and even served as the Home Minister in the Oommen Chandy government from 2014 to 2016. In the 2026 election, he won from Haripad in Alappuzha district with a margin of 23,377 votes, defeating CPI’s TT Jismon. Significantly, he was the only UDF candidate to win in Alappuzha, a district that largely resisted the alliance’s surge, reinforcing his personal electoral strength.
Thiruvananthapuram [Trivandrum], India, India
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