Of the two who emerged as the main rivals to Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala at least had a solid claim. It is doubtful whether either Satheesan or Chennithala would have countenanced K C Venugopal pipping them to the post
While Ramesh Chennithala and K C Venugopal are also said to be in the running, LoP V D Satheesan's supporters feel "public perception" in their favour.
The growing strength of the BJP and its allies in Kerala’s political arena has forced both the LDF and UDF to recalibrate their strategies, often by shoring up their own communal bases to counter the BJP’s appeal
