New Delhi, May 23 (H.S.): Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Saturday met senior Congress leaders in New Delhi during his first visit to the national capital after assuming office. During the visit, he held discussions with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on a range of political and organisational matters.

Upon arriving in Delhi, Satheesan first met Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal at his residence. He later visited the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, where Kharge felicitated him with a traditional stole and congratulated him on becoming Chief Minister.

Satheesan subsequently met Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra separately. According to party sources, the discussions focused extensively on Kerala’s political landscape, the priorities of the new state government, and issues related to party organisation. The Congress leadership congratulated Satheesan on his new responsibility and conveyed their best wishes for the successful functioning of the government in the state.

The Chief Minister also briefed the Congress leadership on the state government’s initial policy initiatives and administrative priorities. It is understood that continuous consultations between the Kerala government and the party leadership regarding governance strategy and organisational coordination are likely to continue in the coming days.

Earlier, Satheesan arrived in Delhi late Friday night and stayed at Kerala House. His visit to the national capital is being viewed as a significant step towards strengthening coordination between the Congress organisation and the state government.

Notably, V.D. Satheesan was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Kerala on May 18 at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to him. Along with Satheesan, 20 other ministers were also sworn into the cabinet.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by several senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu were also present at the event.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government has returned to power in Kerala after nearly a decade. The victory is being regarded as a major political success for the Congress party in southern India.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar