V.D. Satheesan will be the next Chief Minister of Kerala. The Congress leadership on Thursday (May 14, 2026) picked Mr. Satheesan as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party, putting an end to the high drama and suspense that lasted all of ten days after the declaration of the State Assembly election results on May 4.
Kerala CM announcement LIVE - May 14, 2026
Mr. Satheesan, 61, will take over as the 13th Chief Minister of the southern State, following the April 9 elections that ended ten years of CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) rule. The Opposition Leader of Kerala during 2021-2026, he succeeds Pinarayi Vijayan to the post after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) scripted a landslide victory, claiming 102 seats in the 140-seat House.
It was not immediately evident how the Congress leadership had eventually resolved the dispute among Mr. Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and and K.C. Venugopal, the three senior leaders who were in the running for the Chief Minister’s post.
Analysis | Tussle over CM lays bare fault lines in Congress
