Kerala Assembly Set For Satheesan-Vijayan Face-Off After CPI(M) Picks Leader Of Opposition

Last Updated:May 14, 2026, 21:00 IST

CPI(M) unanimously elects former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as Leader of the Opposition after LDF defeat, UDF wins 102 seats, BJP led NDA takes 3 seats.

Pinarayi Vijayan has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly by the state committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The announcement was made on Wednesday through an official statement issued by the CPI(M) Kerala state committee.

According to the statement, the decision was taken unanimously during a meeting of the party leadership.

Vijayan, who previously served as Kerala Chief Minister, will now lead the opposition benches in the Assembly following the recent election results in the state.

The development marks a significant political shift in Kerala, with the veteran CPI(M) leader now set to play a central role in challenging the new government inside the Assembly.

Further details regarding the opposition strategy and allocation of key legislative Kerala Election 2026: Key Numbers

• UDF: 102 seats
• LDF: 35 seats
• NDA: 3 seats
• Majority mark: 71 seats

Within the UDF, the Congress emerged as the single largest party with 63 seats, while the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) won 22 seats. CPI(M) managed 26 seats while ally CPI secured 8.

Anti-Incumbency Wave Hit LDF

The election saw a strong anti-incumbency wave against the Vijayan-led government.

As many as 13 ministers from the outgoing LDF cabinet lost their seats, including several senior leaders.

Though Pinarayi Vijayan retained his Dharmadam constituency, the LDF faced major setbacks even in traditional Left strongholds.

The defeat also marked the first time in nearly 50 years that no Communist party remains in power in any Indian state.

BJP Makes Breakthrough

The BJP-led NDA also made limited but notable gains by winning three seats — Nemom, Kazhakootam and Chathannoor — marking one of its best Assembly performances in Kerala so far.

News india Kerala Assembly Set For Satheesan-Vijayan Face-Off After CPI(M) Picks Leader Of Opposition

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