The senior-most leader of the Congress party, A.K. Antony, has made a general appeal to people that Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan be given some time off before he can get down to fulfilling his promises to the public.

While addressing the media at his residence when Mr. Satheesan called on him on Thursday evening, Mr. Antony said that the CM-designate faces a tough task ahead in pulling Kerala out of its financial crisis.

Mr. Antony, offering his congratulations to Mr. Satheesan and team UDF, said that he fully endorsed the decision of the Congress high command, which had chosen Mr. Satheesan to be the leader of the Congress Legislature Party and the Chief Minister, to lead the State at one of the most crucial times in the history of Kerala since its formation.

Mr. Antony said that in 2001, it was with a similar verdict (with 99 seats), that the UDF had come to power in Kerala, with himself as the Chief Minister.

“But once the euphoria died down, reality hit hard. The State was in such financial ruin that the government had to take some tough decisions and then everyone, including the media, turned against me.

Mr. Satheesan will be assuming office as the CM at a time when Kerala’s financial crisis is at least 10 times worse that what it was in 2001. I fear that he might also face a similar situation with all those rooting for him now, turning against him,” Mr. Antony said.

Mr. Antony said that Kerala’s fiscal crisis was such that none should expect popular declarations from the government immediately.

“There are tough times ahead and the government will perhaps need to announce austerity measures too. Hence Mr. Satheesan should be given some time to set things right,” he added.

He said that in the age of Internet, social media and AI, Mr. Satheesan has plenty of experience in conversing with the public in the language and style they prefer and that he will communicate everything to the people appropriately.

He appealed to the civil society to give their wholehearted support to the new CM so that he can govern the State well.

It may be recalled that the Mr. Antony-led UDF government, after winning the 2001 polls, soon became unpopular, not just because of the “tough” decisions of the government but also because of the bitter infighting within the Congress party.

In the subsequent Lok Sabha polls in 2004, the UDF faced a total rout, with the coalition failing to win even a single seat, while even the BJP managed to open its account in the State.

Mr. Antony had resigned in 2004 taking moral responsibility for the drubbing the party received in the Lok Sabha polls

Mr. Antony’s advice to Mr. Satheesan thus seemed apt, that the people cheering him on would in a flash withdraw their loyalties too when things do not go in their favour.