The recent public criticism of Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan by UDF Convenor Adoor Prakash is unfortunate and, in my view, unnecessary. He has every right to raise concerns if he believes that important decisions are being taken without adequate consultation. That is part of internal democracy within a political party and particularly important in a coalition such as the UDF. However, one has to ask whether such grievances should first be aired publicly before they are properly discussed within the party and the coalition.
Congress has enough forums to address these differences. There is the KPCC, the UDF leadership and, if necessary, the Congress High Command. Public criticism of one's own Chief Minister, particularly when the government is still trying to settle in and deliver on its promises, does not help either the party or the government. It only provides ammunition to the opposition and creates an impression that the old factional battles within the Congress have already returned.
That would be unfortunate because the people of Kerala have given the UDF a huge mandate after ten years in opposition. They were not voting for another round of internal quarrels and personality clashes. They were voting for change, stable governance and a government that would act decisively on the many problems facing the state.
V. D. Satheesan did not come to the Chief Minister's office by accident. He had led the opposition battle against the Pinarayi Vijayan government for years and had become the most visible face of that struggle. There was also a strong public sentiment in his favor after the election victory. Many ordinary Congress workers and people outside the party believed that the person who had led the fight should be allowed to lead the government.
It is also no secret that not everyone within the Congress was enthusiastic about his elevation. There were other aspirants and competing groups, which is nothing unusual in politics. However, once the party leadership made its decision and Satheesan became Chief Minister, one would have expected everyone to close ranks and give him a fair opportunity to govern.
Unfortunately, factional rivalry has been a recurring weakness of the Congress in Kerala. Too often, leaders have spent as much energy fighting one another as fighting their political opponents. That tendency has hurt the party repeatedly in the past. If the same behavior begins again so soon after such a decisive electoral victory, the people may rightly wonder whether Congress has learned anything from its years in opposition.
There may be legitimate complaints about consultation. A Chief Minister heading a coalition government must listen to colleagues and alliance partners. Satheesan should do that. No leader can govern effectively by isolating himself from those around him. At the same time, consultation cannot mean that every decision is held hostage by competing factions and individual ambitions. A government also needs leadership, direction and the ability to make decisions.
Satheesan has the intellect, oratorical ability, powers of persuasion and commitment to Congress principles necessary for the job. He has also shown during his years as Leader of the Opposition that he is willing to take a position and defend it. Those qualities are important in governing a state as politically demanding as Kerala.
He will make mistakes. Every Chief Minister does. To err is human. There is nothing wrong with fellow Congressmen pointing out mistakes or disagreeing with him. However, there is a major difference between correcting a leader and trying to undermine him. If every mistake becomes an opportunity for those who were unhappy with his selection to weaken him, it will eventually become a tragedy not merely for Satheesan but for the Congress and the UDF as a whole.
There is also a certain irony here. Many of those who are now quick to find fault were hardly as vocal during much of the previous ten years when the Congress was struggling in opposition against the Pinarayi Vijayan government. Satheesan was out there taking the fight to the government, inside and outside the Assembly, while several others remained relatively silent.
That is why those who may still be unhappy with his elevation should come to their senses. Personal ambitions and old factional loyalties cannot be allowed to destroy an opportunity given by the people. Kerala voters have placed their trust in this government, and they expect results.
The Congress leadership should therefore rally behind the Chief Minister and help him fulfill the people's aspirations. Criticism should be constructive, disagreements should be discussed internally, and coalition partners should certainly be consulted. But public sniping and attempts to weaken one's own government will ultimately cost the Congress dearly.
Satheesan led the fight and earned the opportunity to govern. He should be held accountable, advised when necessary and corrected when he is wrong. But he should also be given the political space to lead.
Let him govern.

George Abraham, Vice-Chairman, Indian Overseas Congress, USA
6 October, 2026