Senior Congress MLA V.D. Satheesan will be the new leader of opposition in the Kerala assembly. The AICC on Saturday nominated Satheesan as the leader of the party's parliamentary party in Kerala assembly, KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran said. Satheesan was elected from the Paravur constituency for the fifth consecutive term. Though identified as a part of the Ramesh Chennithala-led 'I' group, Satheesan has been picked as the LoP despite opposition from Chennithala and former chief minister Oommen Chandy, who leads the rival 'A' faction. There were demands from various corners to make Satheesan the leader of the opposition, and that a generational shift in leadership is necessary for the party's survival in Kerala following the drubbing in the assembly elections.
The grand old party had suffered major defeats in the previous bout of assembly polls, resulting in calls for introspection and change. In Kerala, which was seen as the Congress's best bet in these elections, and where former party chief Rahul Gandhi led the campaign from the front, the UDF had won only 41 seats. This is compared to the the previous poll's tally of 47. In Assam, where the Congress's campaign gained momentum belatedly, the party appeared to be making only a marginal improvement in its seat count. In Puducherry also they were run aground.
-Inputs from Onmanorama
