A few months before the parliamentary polls, VD Satheesan, the then leader of the opposition in the Kerala legislature, caused political tremors when he declared that he would opt for political exile if he failed to bring the party back to power. The announcement was greeted with the usual cynicism.
Many political observers even dismissed it as a calculated move by a cunning politician to energize the party and its rank and file for the crucial election. Months after the announcement, Mr Satheesan is set to take over as Kerala chief minister after leading the Congress-led alliance to victory over the Left Democratic Front (LDF), defeating two senior colleagues in the race for the top post.
Published – 17 May 2026 01:15 IST
