From open letters to threat to quit, Kerala CM race sparks social media war
Even before the Congress high command steps in, social media has already picked Kerala's next Chief Minister, with a heated debate now underway online.
Even before the Congress leadership could begin consultations on Kerala’s next Chief Minister, social media had already picked its favourite, with a massive war of words now underway among loyalists of three contenders: VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, or KC Venugopal.
After the Congress’s resounding comeback to power, Rahul Gandhi took to social media to congratulate UDF leaders and workers for what he called a hard-fought and well-run campaign. Within minutes, the comment section was flooded with “VDS”, with supporters calling VD Satheesan the “next Chief Minister”.
One after another, comments backed Satheesan.
“Rahul ji, when the UDF failed to win in 2021, many people believed there would be no comeback. It was VD Satheesan who restored people’s confidence. He deserves nothing less than the Chief Minister’s post,” a user named Nasarudheen Mannarkkad wrote.
“CM... only one name, VD Satheesan... please don't play high command games... only VDS,” another user, Surya KS, wrote, echoing the views of hundreds of others.
This was just the beginning, with supporters of other leaders also weighing in on who should become the next Chief Minister. The discussion has since turned into a full-blown social media war.
While Rahul Gandhi’s comment section was overwhelmingly in favour of Satheesan, a parallel campaign gathered momentum online for KC Venugopal. Some users also backed Chennithala, though in significantly smaller numbers.
The online battle is not limited to arguments between loyalists of the three leaders. Some are writing open letters to the party leadership, while others are threatening to quit the party if their preferred leader is not chosen as Chief Minister.
“The people handed this victory not just to the Congress, but to Satheesan as well. He worked tirelessly, running around to ensure this win. He also has the vision needed in a Chief Minister,” a Facebook user named Thejodharan Potty wrote, calling on the other two leaders to publicly state that they are not in the race “because the public mood is very clear”.
Congress worker Joby Jobin joined the debate, saying, “If VD Satheesan does not become Chief Minister, I too will stop working for the UDF.” Another user, Ashraf, backed the sentiment, saying, “The Congress cannot sideline a leader who has such massive public support and make someone else the Chief Minister.”
VD Satheesan, who served as Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, was the face of the party in the run-up to the election. He single-handedly took on the Left government at many critical junctures over the past five years, helping the Congress recover from its 2021 defeat and return to power. This has only added to the anguish among his supporters.
At the same time, a strong chorus is also growing in favour of KC Venugopal. Though he did not contest the election, his name entered the discussion very early, and Venugopal himself has not dismissed the speculation. His loyalists claim he enjoys the backing of a majority of the newly elected MLAs.
MP Vincent, who identifies himself as a politician on social media, argued that “the real foundation” behind the UDF’s resounding victory was the micro-management strategies implemented by KC Venugopal.
“Instead of relying on conventional poster campaigns, he designed the campaign through precise data analysis of voters in each booth,” he claimed in a Facebook post.
A similar view was expressed by another Congress worker, TG Sunil, who described Venugopal as the “architect of this victory” and the “real engineer of electoral politics”.
“The real engineer behind the UDF’s march in this Assembly election was AICC general secretary KC Venugopal. More than merely preparing a list of candidates, it was the strategies he crafted, with a deep understanding of Kerala’s political landscape, that energised the Congress in this election,” he wrote.
Social media commentator Abid Adivaram, however, argued that it would be ideal for Venugopal to publicly declare that Satheesan should become Chief Minister. According to him, such a move would elevate Venugopal’s stature among party workers and establish him as a kingmaker.
“Just imagine a situation where KC Venugopal, as part of the high command, announces that VD Satheesan will become the Chief Minister of Kerala. What tremendous excitement that would create. KC would then be seen as the kingmaker. He would emerge as the most influential Congress leader in Kerala, and his stature would rise sharply among Congress workers as well as the public,” he wrote.
While the primary social media battle is centred around Satheesan and Venugopal, Chennithala on Wednesday asserted that social media does not decide who becomes Chief Minister. He is believed to enjoy the backing of caste organisations such as the Nair Service Society (NSS) and the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam.
“It is not social media that decides the Chief Minister. The decision will not be influenced by the putting up of flex boards. Everyone is free to express their views, but it is the Congress high command that will take the appropriate decision,” Chennithala said.
The UDF won 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, while the LDF secured 35 seats and the BJP won 3 in the April 9 polls.
Even before the Congress leadership could begin consultations on Kerala’s next Chief Minister, social media had already picked its favourite, with a massive war of words now underway among loyalists of three contenders: VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, or KC Venugopal.
After the Congress’s resounding comeback to power, Rahul Gandhi took to social media to congratulate UDF leaders and workers for what he called a hard-fought and well-run campaign. Within minutes, the comment section was flooded with “VDS”, with supporters calling VD Satheesan the “next Chief Minister”.
One after another, comments backed Satheesan.
“Rahul ji, when the UDF failed to win in 2021, many people believed there would be no comeback. It was VD Satheesan who restored people’s confidence. He deserves nothing less than the Chief Minister’s post,” a user named Nasarudheen Mannarkkad wrote.
“CM... only one name, VD Satheesan... please don't play high command games... only VDS,” another user, Surya KS, wrote, echoing the views of hundreds of others.
This was just the beginning, with supporters of other leaders also weighing in on who should become the next Chief Minister. The discussion has since turned into a full-blown social media war.
While Rahul Gandhi’s comment section was overwhelmingly in favour of Satheesan, a parallel campaign gathered momentum online for KC Venugopal. Some users also backed Chennithala, though in significantly smaller numbers.
The online battle is not limited to arguments between loyalists of the three leaders. Some are writing open letters to the party leadership, while others are threatening to quit the party if their preferred leader is not chosen as Chief Minister.
“The people handed this victory not just to the Congress, but to Satheesan as well. He worked tirelessly, running around to ensure this win. He also has the vision needed in a Chief Minister,” a Facebook user named Thejodharan Potty wrote, calling on the other two leaders to publicly state that they are not in the race “because the public mood is very clear”.
Congress worker Joby Jobin joined the debate, saying, “If VD Satheesan does not become Chief Minister, I too will stop working for the UDF.” Another user, Ashraf, backed the sentiment, saying, “The Congress cannot sideline a leader who has such massive public support and make someone else the Chief Minister.”
VD Satheesan, who served as Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, was the face of the party in the run-up to the election. He single-handedly took on the Left government at many critical junctures over the past five years, helping the Congress recover from its 2021 defeat and return to power. This has only added to the anguish among his supporters.
At the same time, a strong chorus is also growing in favour of KC Venugopal. Though he did not contest the election, his name entered the discussion very early, and Venugopal himself has not dismissed the speculation. His loyalists claim he enjoys the backing of a majority of the newly elected MLAs.
MP Vincent, who identifies himself as a politician on social media, argued that “the real foundation” behind the UDF’s resounding victory was the micro-management strategies implemented by KC Venugopal.
“Instead of relying on conventional poster campaigns, he designed the campaign through precise data analysis of voters in each booth,” he claimed in a Facebook post.
A similar view was expressed by another Congress worker, TG Sunil, who described Venugopal as the “architect of this victory” and the “real engineer of electoral politics”.
“The real engineer behind the UDF’s march in this Assembly election was AICC general secretary KC Venugopal. More than merely preparing a list of candidates, it was the strategies he crafted, with a deep understanding of Kerala’s political landscape, that energised the Congress in this election,” he wrote.
Social media commentator Abid Adivaram, however, argued that it would be ideal for Venugopal to publicly declare that Satheesan should become Chief Minister. According to him, such a move would elevate Venugopal’s stature among party workers and establish him as a kingmaker.
“Just imagine a situation where KC Venugopal, as part of the high command, announces that VD Satheesan will become the Chief Minister of Kerala. What tremendous excitement that would create. KC would then be seen as the kingmaker. He would emerge as the most influential Congress leader in Kerala, and his stature would rise sharply among Congress workers as well as the public,” he wrote.
While the primary social media battle is centred around Satheesan and Venugopal, Chennithala on Wednesday asserted that social media does not decide who becomes Chief Minister. He is believed to enjoy the backing of caste organisations such as the Nair Service Society (NSS) and the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam.
“It is not social media that decides the Chief Minister. The decision will not be influenced by the putting up of flex boards. Everyone is free to express their views, but it is the Congress high command that will take the appropriate decision,” Chennithala said.
The UDF won 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, while the LDF secured 35 seats and the BJP won 3 in the April 9 polls.
