Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], May 14 : Bringing an end to more than 10 days of speculation, the Congress on Thursday named senior leader VD Satheesan as the next Chief Minister of Keralam following the United Democratic Front's (UDF) sweeping victory in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Satheesan, who led the UDF campaign in the state, will take oath as Chief Minister on May 18 (Monday) at 10 AM at Lok Bhavan.
The announcement came after the Congress-led UDF secured a decisive mandate in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, winning 102 seats and paving the way for the alliance's return to power in the state.
Earlier in the day, Satheesan met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to formally stake a claim to form the government.

Meanwhile, CM-designate VD Satheesan on Thursday said he visited senior Congress leader VM Sudheeran to seek his blessings after being officially named the next Chief Minister following the UDF's victory in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Speaking to the reporters, Satheesan said, "I came to seek the blessings of VM Sudheeran. He is like a mentor to me. I was fortunate to serve as Vice President when he was the President. He is someone who has the authority to scold and correct me."
VM Sudheeran also welcomed the decision, saying, "The decision of the Congress High Command is most welcome. I am thankful to the high command for selecting Satheesan as the chief minister. That was the most appropriate decision. He led the Congress party and the UDF very effectively..."
Congress leaders and alliance partners welcomed the decision, describing it as a collective choice taken after consultations with MLAs and senior party leadership.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor congratulated VD Satheesan on being named the Chief Minister of Keralam, calling it a "richly deserved recognition" of his leadership, dedication, and service to the party and the people of the state.
In a post on X, Tharoor wrote, "Heartiest congratulations to Shri @VDSatheesan ji on being named leader of the Congress Legislature Party and Chief Minister-designate of Kerala -- a richly deserved recognition of his tenacity, conviction, and years of dedicated service to our party and people. I campaigned alongside him and am delighted by his richly deserved appointment."
"At the same time, we all realise that the mandate that propels him to office is not one man's victory -- it is a mandate for Team UDF. Every senior leader bears an important role and responsibility in ensuring that this government lives up to the expectations of the people of Kerala. The strength of our alliance lies in its plurality, and we all look forward to every constituent working in concert to build a Kerala that is prosperous, just, and forward-looking. The people of Kerala have placed their trust in us. Let us honour it by working together to transform the state," the post read.
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed also welcomed the appointment and said the decision had been taken after extensive consultations.
She added that the Congress leadership, under Rahul Gandhi and the party president, had consulted MLAs, people of Kerala, and alliance partners before arriving at the final decision.
Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Shama Mohamed said, "It's a very good decision. It's the decision taken by the high command... As you have seen, KC ji (K.C. Venugopal) has accepted the decision. All of us will accept the decision of the high command, of Rahul Gandhi, and the Congress President."
"We are very happy with the decision. The high command has taken everyone into confidence--the MLAs, the people of Kerala, and the alliance partners--and that's how we have come to this final decision," she added.
Further, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) National General Secretary PK Kunhalikutty said the party welcomes the Congress high command's decision, describing it as a collective decision accepted by all concerned alliance partners.
"... It's a high command's decision. So all the concerned parties welcome that. We have always maintained that the final decision will be taken by the Congress High command, which has come out, and all the concerned parties welcome it," Kunhalikutty said.
Congress MLA Chandy Oommen said the party had followed its internal democratic process before finalising the leadership. "Every party has a process. At our party, there is also a process. I told you from the very beginning that the process has to be followed. There is no need for any issue... The Congress has always taken the right decisions. Today we have taken the right decision, and everyone is happy about it..."
Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka said, "This is a very good decision that VD Satheesan has been named as the CM, and this shows that Congress is a democratic party. After taking opinions from all the winning MLAs, observers in Delhi, all the senior leaders, MPs, ministers, AICC took the decision... I am confident that Kerala will form a good government in the future."
Odisha Congress in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu said, "The Legislative Party leader, VD Satheesan, has been elected by the MLAs of Kerala, especially by Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi. We congratulate him, express our best wishes, and hope that the Congress Party will continue to be the voice of all the oppressed and deprived people in Kerala, which has been deprived of development for the past ten years... It will certainly make a significant contribution to Kerala's development..."
AICC in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi said the entire UDF stood united behind the decision and praised the alliance's collective effort during the elections.
"Everyone will stand by the party because the Congress organisation in Keralam is very strong. All the MLAs fought very strongly--and not just the Congress party in Keralam, but the entire UDF (United Democratic Front) together as a team. I think everybody will stand with this decision... There was a lot of discussion among the leaders, which is what I stated. Discussions were held with all leaders, and they consulted many others as well. So, this decision has come directly from the High Command, and we are all standing by it..."
Satheesan served as the Leader of Opposition in Keralam Assembly before the UDF's decisive victory in the 2026 Keralam Assembly elections. Satheesan won the 2026 Kerala Assembly election from the Paravur constituency, securing his sixth consecutive term as an MLA.
With the announcement, Congress will proceed to form the government in the state, ending days of speculation as the top leaders tussled among themselves for the post.
Satheesan secured 78,658 votes and defeated CPI candidate ET Taison Master by a margin of 20,600 votes. He has represented the Paravur constituency for 25 years, having first won the seat in 2001.
As the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly since 2021, Satheesan emerged as a prominent face of the United Democratic Front (UDF) campaign against the ruling Left government. He has been a vocal critic of the state government on various political and governance issues.
He also served as the Vice President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and succeeded Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala as the Leader of the Opposition after the 2021 Kerala Assembly election.
Born in 1964 in Nettoor near Kochi, Satheesan is a lawyer by profession. He began his political journey through the Kerala Students Union (KSU) and later became active in the Youth Congress.