Kerala floods 2026: Chief Minister comes under Opposition criticism over flood management, participation in private events

Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan | Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN

Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Sunday came under sharp criticism from the Opposition over flood management as well as his participation in private functions during the floods. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretariat said in a statement on Sunday that the Chief Minister, who also heads the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, should not stand aside and delegate responsibility to Ministers.

“The primary duty of an administrator is to protect the lives and property of the people. Not fulfilling that can only be seen as a defiant attitude towards the public. Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts, which received the most rainfall, had only an orange alert until Saturday morning. The fact that many areas were under water by the time the red alert was announced is evidence of mismanagement. No steps were taken to relocate people to safe places and evacuate them from danger-prone areas,” said the CPI(M).

The CPI(M) alleged that the Coastal Police arrived 13 hours late to rescue the fishermen whose boat capsized near Muthalapozhi in Thiruvananthapuram. A video shared by Muslim Youth League vice-president Faisal Bafaqui Thangal of Mr. Satheesan participating in a lunch at his house in Ponnani on Saturday as well as the reports of the Chief Minister using the government’s helicopter for private purposes also invited criticism from the Opposition.

“The fact that the helicopter rented by the government was used for a private purpose and that a feast was being held when the people were suffering has led to severe public criticism of the Chief Minister. The State rented the helicopter to use it for disaster-relief activities and in times of need. The then Leader of the Opposition who criticised the LDF government when it rented the helicopter and called it wasteful expenditure is now using it for private purposes,” said the CPI(M).

Congress MLA C. Noushad Ali of Ponnani said such issues should not be politicised to target the Chief Minister during times of disaster. “Shouldn’t the Chief Minister go anywhere or have food during the rainy season? Such campaigns against him are politically motivated,” he told press persons. Contrasting Mr. Satheesan’s conduct during the flood with that of Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan during his term as the Chief Minister, the CPI(M) said Mr. Vijayan and his office had stayed vigilant round-the-clock, coordinating rescue efforts.

“When journalists asked Mr. Satheesan about the flood situation on Saturday, he took an indifferent approach and said that his office would brief them. It is worth recollecting that during the LDF’s tenure, Mr. Vijayan used to interact constantly with the press during such crisis situations. Through this, it was possible to give confidence to the people and also make them alert,” said the CPI(M).

In a separate statement, Mr. Vijayan said it is unacceptable that the negligence and lack of coordination on the part of the government has worsened people’s sufferings amid the floods. “It is being alleged that proper warnings were not issued before the opening of a dam near Ranni. Traders did not even get time to secure the goods in their shops. The negligence in the relief camps is also worrying. The government agencies themselves have admitted that there was a lapse in food distribution. Due to the lack of coordination by the officials, volunteers, local people and political activists had to prepare and distribute the food. The government should also examine the lapses and prevent them from recurring,” said Mr. Vijayan.

Published - August 02, 2026 08:53 pm IST