Kerala CM race 2026: Who will be the next chief minister if UDF wins?

Thiruvananthapuram: As early trends show the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) surging ahead in Kerala’s 140-member Assembly, the focus has now shifted sharply to one key question—who will become the next Chief Minister if the alliance returns to power after a decade.

The UDF has not projected a Chief Ministerial face ahead of the election, and as per Congress tradition, the decision will be taken after the final results by elected MLAs in consultation with the party’s central leadership. However, the emerging trends have already triggered a clear leadership discussion within the alliance.

Front and centre in the race is Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan, who has been the most visible face of the Congress-led opposition against the LDF government since 2021. His aggressive campaign style and organisational role within the UDF have strengthened his position as the frontrunner, with several exit polls also projecting him as a preferred CM choice among Congress supporters.

However, the contest is not one-sided. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, with decades of political experience and strong grassroots influence, remains a key contender, especially given his long-standing role in Kerala politics and deep ties within the party structure.

Adding a new dimension is KC Venugopal, a powerful organisational leader in the Congress high command, whose proximity to the central leadership makes him a strategic wildcard in the final decision-making process.

Meanwhile, Shashi Tharoor, Thiruvananthapuram MP, has been speculated in political circles but has consistently distanced himself from the CM race, maintaining that such decisions rest entirely with the party leadership and elected MLAs after the results.

Reacting to the early trends, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Sunny Joseph said the results pointed to a clear pro-UDF wave. "This is a strong indication. We are confident of reaching the 100-seat mark," he told a television channel.

CPM leaders trailing

At least 12 ministers in the CPM-led LDF cabinet were trailing on Monday with the counting of votes polled in the April 9 Assembly elections progressing across the state.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was also trailing in his sitting seat, Dharmadam, considered his bastion.

According to various reports, ministers- Veena George, M B Rajesh, O R Kelu, R Bindhu, J Chinchurani, P Rajeev, K B Ganesh Kumar, V N Vasavan, V Sivankutty, V Abdurahiman, A K Saseendran and Roshy Augustine were trailing in their respective constituencies.

The Congress-UDF was ahead in over 90 seats, while the LDF was leading in a little over 40 seats. The BJP-headed NDA was leading in four Assembly constituencies according to reports.