VD Satheesan pledges to make Kerala top state after UDF victory

VD Satheesan, the designated Chief Minister of Kerala, said he intends to make Kerala the number-one state in India again.

This transition marks a significant shift in regional power following the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) historic victory in the Kerala Legislative Assembly elections. The result replaces the previous administration and introduces a new governance model aimed at addressing fiscal challenges and pursuing a development-focused agenda.

The UDF secured 102 seats ^[1] in the election results declared on May 2, 2024. This outcome surpassed several pre-election surveys that had projected the coalition would win only 90 seats ^[4]. Satheesan said that he had predicted the party would cross the 100-seat mark ^[3] even when those polls suggested a lower total.

"We will make Kerala the number one state again," Satheesan said during an interview with Republic TV.

The scale of the electoral shift was highlighted by the loss of 13 ministers from the previous government ^[2]. The Congress party selected Satheesan for the top post based on his leadership record and his ability to manage the state's economic hurdles.

Satheesan said there is a need for an alternative governance model to steer the state toward growth. He said that the UDF's victory provides a mandate to implement these changes while stabilizing the state's finances. The new administration aims to balance aggressive development goals with the reality of the current fiscal landscape.

"I had predicted we would cross the 100-seat mark even when polls showed only 90 seats," Satheesan said, reflecting on the accuracy of his internal assessments compared to public polling.