New Kerala CM Satheeshan Holds First Talks with PM Modi

Fresh from a landslide assembly victory, Kerala’s new Chief Minister V.D. Satheeshan landed in the capital on Tuesday for a landmark meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The encounter marks the first formal interaction between the Congress-led United Democratic Front government and the BJP-led Centre since the May 2024 polls. Political observers note that the timing is significant: the UDF secured 102 seats while the LDF’s tally collapsed to 35 and the BJP opened its account with three. Against this backdrop, Satheeshan is expected to press for a cooperative rather than confrontational relationship with New Delhi. The agenda is understood to include immediate relief for sectors hit by recent natural calamities, faster environmental clearances for major infrastructure corridors, and an upward revision of the state’s borrowing ceiling. A follow-up meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman later in the day will drill down on these fiscal demands. Before heading to the Prime Minister’s Office, Satheeshan spent the morning at the residence of senior Congress leaders, briefing them on the new government’s roadmap. Sources say the discussions also touched upon the party’s performance in the just-concluded elections and the need to consolidate organisational structures ahead of panchayat polls. The mood at Kerala House reflected the buoyant sentiment back home. Supporters thronged the premises, eager to catch a glimpse of the man who ended the LDF’s eight-year rule. The Chief Minister obliged with selfies and brief conversations, reinforcing his image as an accessible leader even on his first national assignment.