The KC Venugopal faction has established unprecedented dominance in the Kerala Congress ministry, controlling 9 out of 12 Congress ministerial positions in the UDF government including the Chief Minister.

Despite having a majority in the Kerala-Tamil Nadu-Puducherry legislature party, KC Venugopal’s group chose to step back from the Chief Minister’s post while ensuring their faction holds supreme control over the administration. This is perhaps the first time in Congress political history that any single group or leader has enjoyed such overwhelming representation in a cabinet.

Chief Minister VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala saw all the names they proposed dropped from the final list at the last moment. Those who showed disloyalty or wavering allegiance were mercilessly sidelined by the KC group’s strategic maneuver.

The unexpected ministerial positions for OJ Janish and Roji M John, the Youth Congress state president, were the result of the KC faction’s calculated plan. Among the ministers, the KC group members include Sunny Joseph, AP Anilkumar, Roji M John, OJ Janish, T Siddhique, PC Vishnunath, M Liju, Bindukrishna, and KA Thulasi.

The sweet revenge of the KC faction for having to step aside from the Chief Minister’s post was evident in both cabinet formation and portfolio allocation. Chandy Oommen and VT Balram, who initially stood with KC Venugopal but later leaned toward the Satheesan faction when the CM position was being discussed, were dropped from ministerial positions at the last moment. This serves as a warning to others from the KC faction.

Chandy Oommen, Shanumol Usman, and VT Balram, who had assumed ministerial positions were confirmed with Satheesan’s support, ended up disappointed. Overcoming challenges and obstacles, KC Venugopal managed to bring T Siddhique, Roji M John, and the previously unexpected OJ Janish into ministerial positions.

Chief Minister VD Satheesan failed to secure a ministerial position for his close associate VT Balram, and also failed to bring his loyalist Shanumol Usman into the cabinet. While the KC faction skillfully placed T Siddhique to represent Muslim and Malabar representation in the Congress, Shanumol Usman was pushed aside to the Deputy Speaker position, which has limited organizational and political scope.

K Muraleedharan, who stood with KC Venugopal initially but later leaned toward the Satheesan faction, received a ministerial position but not a desirable portfolio. Though he was considered for the Health department, he showed disinterest and ended up with it anyway. However, Muraleedharan’s situation is not due to factional allegiance — in 2004, he had contested from Vadakkencherry in a by-election after taking charge of the Electricity department and lost. That experience likely led him to avoid the Electricity portfolio this time.

Satheesan has been unable to gain an upper hand in either cabinet formation or portfolio allocation. Moreover, he will face limitations in implementing agendas beyond the party’s interests within the cabinet.

In the history of Kerala Congress politics, there has never been such a decisive and astonishing power equation. By completely neutralizing the traditional strongholds of both the A-group and I-group, KC Venugopal has demonstrated that he holds the final word in the party. Even as VD Satheesan occupies the Chief Minister’s chair, there is no doubt that the nine KC faction ministers will be the ones fully controlling the reins of governance.