Kerala LoP Satheesan: ‘This Congress victory is more political than 2019, no emotional issue like Sabarimala’

This is a huge victory for the UDF and Congress. Four of our candidates won by a margin of over 2 lakh votes, while nine others saw margins of over 1 lakh votes each. This shows that in many constituencies of Kerala, the fight against the CPI(M)-led LDF wasn’t even close. Since 1977, the only time we had such a massive victory margin was in 2019.

* What factors led to the UDF victory?

People of Kerala realised there should be a national-level platform against the BJP, and the Congress should lead it. Without the Congress, the anti-BJP platform is a big zero. People know that the CPI(M) can’t lead such a forum. Also, there was a strong anti-incumbency factor working against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government. We had exposed the nexus between the CPI(M) and BJP, which was evident in Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram. Like 2019, Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad helped the UDF in a big way. At the grassroots, our system worked very well.

* How was your campaign different this time?

With our campaign, we set the agenda in Kerala and made others follow it. In the past, we were often forced to follow our rivals’ agenda. This time, though, we could convey all our election narratives to the voters, to ensure support from all communities through proper social engineering. As a result, the BJP couldn’t make any inroads into Christian votes in the state, which was a fear among many.

* In 2019, the UDF won 19 out of 20 seats…

This victory is more political. There is no emotional issue like Sabarimala, which had helped us win in 2019. The CPI(M) kept focused on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, claiming that the state wouldn’t implement it. We told the voters that a state has no role in it.

* Why did the Congress lose Thrissur to the BJP?

The BJP’s Thrissur win is an isolated case. There was a clear understanding between the CPI(M) and BJP there. The CM’s (Pinarayi Vijayan’s) daughter and several CPI(M) leaders in Thrissur are facing probes by Central agencies like the ED and the IT. Using probes into scams in cooperative banks as leverage, the BJP was pressuring the CPI(M) to vote for its candidate. The Thrissur pooram (an annual cultural event) fiasco in April was also a conspiracy by the CPI(M) to create a situation that favoured the BJP. We’ll look into all these factors behind the Thrissur loss.

* Can the UDF repeat the performance in the 2026 Assembly polls?

The voting pattern in the Assembly elections is different. We have to take a different approach and work in an entirely different manner. But this victory has given the UDF the confidence to approach the next elections. We have already started the groundwork for the Assembly polls. After our 2019 win, our workers had become complacent, which also contributed to the UDF’s defeat in the 2021 Assembly elections.