Congress leader V. D. Satheesan, centre, at the Cantonment House in Thiruvananthapuram
| Photo Credit: A. Jayamohan

Senior Congress leader V.D. Satheesan will be sworn in as Kerala’s next Chief Minister on Monday (May 18, 2026), with the party’s leadership finally declaring its choice on Thursday (May 14, 2026), ten days after the Congress-led United Democratic Front swept the Assembly election.

Following his formal selection as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in the State, Mr. Satheesan, accompanied by senior Congress leaders, met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Lok Bhavan on Thursday (May 14, 2026) evening and staked his claim to form the government.

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Mr. Satheesan will take oath as Chief Minister at 10 a.m. on Monday (May 18, 2026) at the Central Stadium in the State’s capital. Further clarity on how many Ministers will be sworn in along with him is expected after the UDF meeting scheduled for Friday (May 15, 2026). All the remaining MLAs will be sworn in on May 21.

The 61-year-old Mr. Satheesan, who led the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly from 2021 to 2026, will be the 13th person to hold the Chief Minister’s position in the southern State. Talking to reporters after the announcement, he expressed his resolve to build a new Kerala by raising the living standards of the people and fulfilling the UDF’s election promises.

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The UDF scored a landslide victory in the April 9 election, winning 102 of the 140 seats in the State Assembly and ending the ten-year rule of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).

Efforts to placate

With the suspense about the Chief Minister’s post now over, the focus has shifted to the division of portfolios and the Congress’s internal efforts to placate senior leaders Ramesh Chennithala and K.C. Venugopal, who were the other top contenders for the CM’s post. Mr. Satheesan told reporters that the new Ministers would be selected by the party.

V.D. Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, K.C. Venugopal and Kerala Congress President Sunny Joseph
| Photo Credit:
ANI

Mr. Venugopal met with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for three hours just before the All India Congress Committee declared Mr. Satheesan as its choice for CLP leader at noon. Mr. Venugopal then stated that he respected the AICC’s choice. The announcement was made in New Delhi by AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Deepa Dasmunsi, the party’s central observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik, and senior leader Jairam Ramesh.

The CLP meeting was held at the Kerala Legislative Assembly complex at 6 p.m., with 62 Congress MLAs in attendance. Mr. Chennithala’s conspicuous absence at the meeting had sparked speculation, but there were also reports that he had conveyed his support to Mr. Satheesan in writing. State Congress president Sunny Joseph introduced the memorandum to formally elect Mr. Satheesan as the CLP leader, and senior leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan seconded it.

From student politics to CM’s post

Shortly after 7 p.m., Mr. Satheesan left the CLP meeting and headed for the Lok Bhavan. Accompanied by Mr. Joseph and Ms. Dasmunsi, he met the Governor and handed over a letter proving the support of 102 MLAs.

Earlier in the afternoon, Mr. Satheesan had also called on veteran Congress leaders, including A.K. Antony and former KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran.

Born to K. Damodara Menon and V. Vilasini Amma in Nettur, Ernakulam district, on May 31, 1964, Mr. Satheesan completed his primary education from Panangad High School. He entered student politics as the Arts Club secretary at Sacred Heart College, Thevara. A law graduate, he was the chairperson of the Mahatma Gandhi University Union in 1986-87 and served as national committee secretary of the National Students Union.

In his first Assembly election in 1996, he lost to CPI candidate P. Raju in the Paravur constituency. However, he has won all six elections since then — in 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 and 2026 — from the same constituency.

Published – May 14, 2026 12:26 pm IST