Pinarayi Vijayan To Return As Kerala’s Opposition Leader? Who Are The Top Contenders For The Post?

Last Updated:May 08, 2026, 16:04 IST

While a final announcement is expected soon, the race has effectively narrowed down to Pinarayi Vijayan and KN Balagopal. News18 explains

Following the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s landslide victory in the Kerala Assembly elections, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] is currently deliberating on who will serve as the Leader of the Opposition.

While a final announcement is expected soon, the race has effectively narrowed down to Pinarayi Vijayan and KN Balagopal.

The contenders for Leader of the Opposition

Pinarayi Vijayan (Outgoing CM)

As the “unchallenged authority" in the party, he remains the frontrunner for the post. Historical precedents exist in Kerala, where stalwarts like E. M. S. Namboodiripad served as LoP after being Chief Minister.

Some sections within the party and ally CPI, however, have called for “new faces", citing his age and health as potential concerns.

KN Balagopal (Former Finance Minister)

Viewed as the natural alternative if Vijayan declines the role. He is one of the few senior Central Committee members who retained his seat (Kottarakkara) amidst the UDF wave.

Any choice other than Vijayan would still require Pinarayi’s explicit backing, making the new LoP likely to be a close confidant.

What happened in the Kerala assembly elections?

The UDF secured a historic comeback, winning 102 seats (INC: 63, IUML: 22).

The LDF was reduced to 35 seats (CPI(M): 26, CPI: 8), ending a decade-long rule.

While the CPI(M) decides its LoP, the Congress-led UDF is expected to announce its Chief Minister face by May 10, with VD Satheesan and KC Venugopal as lead contenders.

Who will be Kerala CM?

The two Congress observers, appointed to seek the opinion of newly-elected MLAs in Kerala, submitted their report to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday and urged the party high command to take a final decision on the chief ministerial candidate.

Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik spoke to all the MLAs of the Congress as well as party MPs and submitted their observations to the party leadership. The duo had gone to Kerala on Wednesday and met all the legislators and MPs on Thursday before returning to the national capital.

Sources said a majority of the party MLAs are in support of making AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal the chief minister while the public is favouring senior party leader V D Satheesan, who was the leader of opposition in the outgoing Kerala assembly.

Maken and Wasnik discussed with Kharge the observations made by the new party legislators when they met each one of the them individually. They have also spoken to the party MPs and some ex-MPs, the sources said.

Besides Venugopal and Satheesan, senior party leader Ramesh Chennithala is also in the race for chief ministership.

The sources said Kharge has called all the three contenders for talks before taking a final decision.

They said Venugopal is also keen on assuming the role of chief minister and is using his influence with the party leadership for the selection. His proximity to Rahul Gandhi is also well known and that may come in his favour.

With PTI Inputs

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