UDF convener dares VD Satheesan to reveal name of ‘anonymous patron’ who sponsored his charter flight

KOCHI;Kerala;03/12/2025: UDF Convener Adoor Prakash, MP.| Photo credit: | Photo credit: RK Nithin

United Democratic Front (UDF) convener Adoor Prakash on Monday (October 19, 2026) seemed to throw down the gauntlet to Chief Minister VD Satheesan, demanding that he “show courage” to expose the “anonymous benefactor” who sponsored the latter’s chartered flight from Thiruvan-floor to local towns in Kariodpurapura township. Malappuram District in September.

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Mr Prakash told the TV channel that Mr Satheeshan had a moral obligation to clarify the politically controversial ambiguity surrounding the Chief Minister’s “stubborn refusal” to name the person or entity that sponsored the private charter flight. Mr Prakash’s latest salvo against Mr Satheeshan has raised the specter of a renewed season of bickering in the Congress.

Mr Prakash reiterated his complaint, submitted in writing to All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi last month, that the government was deliberately keeping the party and the UDF in the dark about critical decisions with potential social and political ramifications. “There are no more party committee or UDF leadership meetings.

Mr. Prakash said he feared that the post of UDF convenor had become redundant under the current permit. He compared his “present situation” to that faced by MP K. Sudhakaran as president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). “Some people first isolated and then smoked out Mr. Sudhakaran from the post of KPCC president. I am not identifying the perpetrators. But I suspect that I may meet Mr. Sudhakaran’s fate, given the deep-rooted intrigues going on against me at present,” Prakash said.

Health Minister K. Muraleedharan’s response to Mr. Prakash seemed to betray the alleged growing fault lines in the Congress in Kerala over Mr. Satheesan’s perceived style of functioning.

He hinted to reporters that Mr. Prakash’s rift against the chief minister was more than meets the eye. “If one person keeps talking against the chief minister, then there is someone behind the curtain. I am not saying who,” he said.

Last week, Mr Satheesan and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala faced indirect intra-party criticism for “favoring a subdued and quiet preliminary investigation” against the leader of the opposition and former chief minister instead of directly registering an FIR against the CPI(M) veteran in the CMRL-Exalogic case.

Mr. Sudhakaran, for example, rather capriciously doubted whether the government had “men of political resolve”. Congressional leaders. Mathew Kuzhalnadan, MLA, Chandy Oomen, MLA and party spokesperson Jinto John argued that the government should not provide any legal cover to Mr. Vijayan as the previous LDF government denied the same to the late Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the Solar case.

Mr Satheesan and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala argued that a hasty registration of an FIR based on the allegations leveled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the CMRL-Exalogic case would be legally unsustainable and would also leave the UDF government vulnerable to allegations of political vendetta and abuse of power. Moreover, Mr. Satheesan last week sought to counter Mr. Prakash by saying that UDF governments have traditionally consulted the party and the alliance only on general policy matters and not on day-to-day decision-making.

Published – 19 Oct 2026 17:29 IST