Congress Names V.D. Satheesan Kerala Next CM

The Congress party announced on Thursday that V.D. Satheesan will be the next chief minister of Kerala, ending more than 10 days of intense deliberations following the United Democratic Front's (UDF) decisive victory in the state's 2026 assembly elections. The UDF, led by Congress, secured 102 seats in the 140-member assembly, ousting the Left Democratic Front government headed by Pinarayi Vijayan.

The decision was revealed at a press conference in New Delhi by AICC Kerala in-charge Deepa Dasmunsi, along with party general secretary Jairam Ramesh and observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik. Satheesan, a six-time MLA from Paravur constituency near Kochi, is expected to take oath on May 18 in Thiruvananthapuram. The announcement came after the Congress Legislature Party authorized party president Mallikarjun Kharge to select the leader during a meeting on May 7.

Satheesan, 61, had served as leader of the opposition since 2021, where he led aggressive campaigns against the ruling Left on issues including corruption, law and order, and financial mismanagement. A law graduate who began in student politics through the Kerala Students Union and Youth Congress, he transformed Paravur from...