It's V.D. Satheesan vs Pinarayi Vijayan as CPI(M) picks former CM as Opposition leader

HOURS after the Congress announcement of V.D. Satheesan as Kerala chief minister on Thursday, the CPI(M) revealed that Pinarayi Vijayan will be the Opposition leader in the state assembly.

This is the first time that Pinarayi will take over as opposition leader. When UDF won in 2011, V.S. Achuthanandan was the opposition leader. In 2016, when the LDF made a comeback, Pinarayi took over as CM and continued in the post till 2026.

On May 5, Manoj, press secretary to the outgoing CM, renamed an admin-only WhatsApp group—used to share updates from the CMO—from “CMO Media” to "Opposition Media."

This repurposing of the WhatsApp group sparked rumours that Pinarayi Vijayan will become the leader of the opposition in the 16th Kerala Legislative Assembly. And now the rumours have come true.

Sources within the CPI(M) say that senior leaders are of the view that Pinarayi himself should assume the role, as he led the LDF in the elections. This view also stems from the belief that any other figure might make the opposition appear too weak in the Assembly. Leaders also point out that if he steps aside instead of leading the front after an electoral defeat, it could send the wrong message. The LDF is entering the opposition benches with its weakest-ever strength since the front's formation.

Earlier, the name of outgoing finance minister K.N. Balagopal was projected as a likely alternative if Pinarayi declines the role of opposition leader.

This comes 10 days after the Kerala assembly election results were announced on May 4. The UDF secured a landslide victory, winning 102 seats in the 140-member assembly. The LDF could bag just 35 seats, of which 26 are represented by the CPI(M) and eight by CPI.