Kerala politics LIVE: UDF leadership meeting to decide next Kerala Cabinet underway

Home Elections Kerala Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said that the CM has the prerogative to decide the composition of the Cabinet Updated - May 15, 2026 11:49 am IST Kerala CM-elect V.D. Satheesan with Kerala Congress President Sunny Joseph, party General Secretary K.C. Venugopal and Congress senior leader Ramesh Chennithala. File | Photo Credit: ANI May 15, 2026 11:49 Muraleedharan backs Chennithala for Cabinet berth, says leadership in touch Senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan on Friday (May 15, 2026) said Ramesh Chennithala should be included in the Cabinet as a Minister, adding that the party leadership is in touch with him.Mr. Chennithala, who was in the race for the Kerala Chief Minister’s post, left his residence soon after V.D. Satheesan was selected by the Congress high command on Thursday (May 14, 2026).Speaking to reporters after a darshan at Sree Krishna temple here, Mr. Muraleedharan said Mr. Satheesan was chosen after consultations with Congress MLAs, MPs and senior leaders, including former KPCC presidents.- PTIMay 15, 2026 11:46 V.D. Satheesan vows to cushion cost of living crisis exacerbated by fuel price hike in Kerala Kerala’s Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan on Friday (May 15, 2026) stated that his government would attempt to cushion the cost of living crisis, including higher commuting and freight costs, driven by the latest hike in fuel prices precipitated by the war in West Asia.Read more hereMay 15, 2026 11:26 Satheesan will definitely be strong CM: Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan Senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan on Friday (May 15, 2026) said that CM-designate V.D. Satheesan will definitely be a good Chief Minister as he has the vision, competence and strength for it.Mr. Radhakrishnan also said that there needs to be a “team” which can work to fulfil the public expectations and it has to be formed by the “captain” with the concurrence of the central leadership.“All I have to say is that the team should comprise of quality people who are committed to working efficiently. That is all I have to say,” he emphasised.- PTIMay 15, 2026 11:25 V.D. Satheesan says Keralam has reaffirmed its secular identity through election verdict Keralam Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan on Friday (May 15, 2026) said the people of Kerala have sent a strong message in favour of secularism through the Assembly election verdict and asserted that attempts to spread hatred in the State would not succeed.Addressing reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Satheesan said, “Some people are trying to start the hate campaign in Kerala. This is secular Kerala. The result of this election is a declaration of Kerala people to the entire country that our state is secular. We will keep it that way.”Responding to criticism from the BJP’s Kerala unit, he said the ideological battle between the Congress and the BJP revolves around preserving secular values. “They are always trying to make hate campaigns. That is their job. Our job is to keep the secular credentials. That is the ideological fight between BJP and Congress,” he said.- ANIMay 15, 2026 11:24 UDF allies expect Cabinet representation, says Anoop Jacob Kerala Congress (Jacob) chief Anoop Jacob on Friday (May 15, 2026) said that alliance partners in the UDF expect representation in the state Cabinet as discussions on its formation are set to begin.Kerala Congress (Jacob) contested only the Piravom constituency, with Jacob emerging as the party’s sole MLA.Speaking to reporters, Mr. Jacob, son of former Minister T.M. Jacob, said talks on sharing Cabinet berths would commence at the UDF meeting scheduled for Friday (May 15, 2026) evening.“The discussion on Ministers will come up during the UDF meeting to be held at 4 p.m. As of now, we are only starting the discussions,” he said.When asked whether a 2.5-year rotational arrangement for ministerial berths was being considered, he said such discussions had not begun.- PTIMay 15, 2026 10:23 Congress workers in Kerala welcome party leadership’s decision: KPCC president Sunny Joseph Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph on Thursday (May 14, 2026) said party workers in Kerala welcome the Congress leadership’s decision selecting V.D. Satheesan as leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP).Congress workers in Kerala welcome party leadership’s decision: KPCC president Sunny JosephKerala Congress welcomes V.D. Satheesan's nomination as Chief Minister, with a formal meeting scheduled for May 14.May 15, 2026 10:10 UDF leadership meeting to lay out the contours of the next Kerala Cabinet underway The United Democratic Front (UDF)’s top leadership meeting at the Cantonment House in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday (May 15) will likely lay out the contours of the next Kerala Cabinet. The UDF is seeking to turn the page on the uncertainty that gripped the alliance following the Congress’s ten-day delay in choosing its Chief Ministerial candidate by fast-tracking the government formation process. According to Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) insiders privy to the government formation process, the Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan will likely invite senior leader Ramesh Chennithala to join the Cabinet. - G. AnandRead more hereMay 15, 2026 09:59 Ramesh Chennithala belatedly backs Chief Minister-designate V.D. SatheesanAt least transiently on Thursday (May 14), the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s platform of unity, which delivered the alliance an extraordinary electoral triumph, appeared shaky after Mr. Chennithala skipped the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting chaired by Mr. Satheesan and went incommunicado after the high command tapped Mr. Satheesan for the top post. A detente emerges in Congress as Ramesh Chennithala belatedly backs Chief Minister-designate V.D. SatheesanRamesh Chennithala backs V.D. Satheesan as Chief Minister, signaling unity in Kerala's Congress party amidst previous tensions. Published - May 15, 2026 09:52 am IST