The Congress is considering a choice between VD Satheesan, KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala for the post of Kerala Chief Minister after the UDF’s victory in the 2026 Assembly elections.
After a decade in opposition, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has returned to power in Kerala with a resounding mandate. The Alliance won 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, an improvement on its 2001 tally of 99 seats. The number of seats for the Communist Party of India-led Left Democratic Front fell to 35 seats, while the BJP-led NDA won three seats. Current Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan resigned after the defeat of the LDF government.
With the start of forming the government, attention turned to choosing the next prime minister. The Congress party is currently locked in a three-way leadership tussle between VD Sathisan, KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala. While the high command has called for restraint, supporters have already begun public campaigns to choose their preferred leaders.
V. D. Sathisan
Satheesan is seen as the frontrunner. He assumed leadership of the opposition after defeats in 2016 and 2021, and rebuilt the party’s organizational and electoral base. Under his leadership, the United Democratic Front won 18 of the 20 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and did well in the 2025 local body polls.
He also led the party in key poll victories in Thrikkakara, Puthuppally and Nilambur. He has consistently targeted the LDF government and CM Pinarayi Vijayan on governance issues and has taken firm stands on internal matters. Being the face of the campaign, Sathisean has the support of key allies like the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
After the assembly results, Sathisan said that the United Democratic Front had fulfilled its promise to return to power.
KC Venugopal
AICC general secretary KC Venugopal is a prime contender given his position in the party and closeness to the Congress leadership. He was a close aide of Rahul Gandhi, and played a central role in the 2026 campaign.
His supporters claim that he has the support of 46 out of 63 members of Congress. Campaign materials portraying him as the “real leader” have appeared in parts of Kerala and Delhi.
His candidacy faces practical challenges. As Alappuzha MP, he will need to vacate his Lok Sabha seat and get elected to the state assembly within six months if he is chosen as Speaker, requiring a bypoll. The party’s guidelines also discouraged MPs from contesting assembly elections.
Ramesh Chennithala
Ramesh Chennithala remains a major contender with long administrative and legislative experience. A former interior minister and leader of the opposition from 2016 to 2021, he was the main face of the United Democratic Front during its most challenging years.
He was replaced by VD Satheesan after the 2021 Assembly defeat, but still has strong links within the party and has experience at the state and national levels. His supporters point to his seniority and legislative record as factors for stable governance.
Chennithala won his Haripad seat for a sixth term in 2026 by a margin of 23,377 votes.
Key electoral figures in Kerala
PK Kunhalikutty (IUML) registered the largest margin of victory in the state with 85,327 votes. Congress party leaders Aryadhan Chowkath and Chandni Oommen also achieved landslide victories with a margin of more than 50,000 votes.
Thirteen of the 21 ministers in the Pinarayi Vijayan government lost their seats.
The BJP won three seats in Nemom, Kazakoottam and Chathanur. Rajeev Chandrasekhar won Nemom by 4,978 votes, while V Muraleedharan bagged Kazhakootam by 428 votes.
Anita Goswami is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she primarily covers Indian and international news. With four years of experience in the field, she has led coverage of Indian general elections, Assembly elections, and national polls in the US, Canada, Bangladesh and Nepal. Its reports cover world wars and major events, including Operation Sindoor, the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina, and the Mahakumbh Mela. It verifies the facts and uses clear sources to ensure the accuracy of the reports. As a former Editor-in-Chief at Storytailors, she has managed teams to produce high-quality content for networks such as NDTV, Profit, CNBC-TV18, Upstox and News18. Her work has appeared on NDTV, Meaww and Global Pulse. Throughout her tenure, Anita has collaborated with and received mentoring from leading industry experts. When she’s not reading, Anita can be found outside or at a bakery. Areas of interest: Indian political history, international elections, historical policy analysis, global conflicts, cultural events, Formula 1, art, media ethics, reporting on social and political change over time.Read more
