V. D. Satheesan

V. D. Satheesan
V. D. Satheesan
	Satheesan in 2026
13th Chief Minister of Keralam
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 18 May 2026
Governor	Rajendra Arlekar; Om Prakash Mathur;
Preceded by	Pinarayi Vijayan
Ministry and Departments	Administration of Civil and Criminal Justice; Airports; Coastal Shipping and Inland Navigation Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation; ; Disaster Management Distress Relief; ; Elections; Finance Treasuries; State Audit; Kerala Financial Corporation; Kerala State Financial Enterprises; State Insurance; Stamps and Stamp Duties; National Savings; ; Taxes State Goods and Services Tax; Agricultural Income Tax; Lotteries; ; General Administration All India Services (IAS, IPS, IFS); State Hospitality; ; Information and Public Relations; Integration; Inter-State River Waters; Khadi and Village Industries; Law National University of Advanced Legal Studies; ; Metro Rail; Non-Resident Keralites Affairs; Personnel and Administrative Reforms; Planning and Economic Affairs; Pollution Control; Ports; Posts and Telegraphs; Printing and Stationery; Public Procurement Advisory Department; Railways; Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology; Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology; Sainik Welfare; Science and Technology Scientific Institutes; ; Senior Citizens Welfare; Subject not mentioned elsewhere; All important policy matters;
Additional ministries
Ministry and Departments	Administration of Civil and Criminal Justice; Airports; Coastal Shipping and Inland Navigation Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation; ; Disaster Management Distress Relief; ; Elections; Finance Treasuries; State Audit; Kerala Financial Corporation; Kerala State Financial Enterprises; State Insurance; Stamps and Stamp Duties; National Savings; ; Taxes State Goods and Services Tax; Agricultural Income Tax; Lotteries; ; General Administration All India Services (IAS, IPS, IFS); State Hospitality; ; Information and Public Relations; Integration; Inter-State River Waters; Khadi and Village Industries; Law National University of Advanced Legal Studies; ; Metro Rail; Non-Resident Keralites Affairs; Personnel and Administrative Reforms; Planning and Economic Affairs; Pollution Control; Ports; Posts and Telegraphs; Printing and Stationery; Public Procurement Advisory Department; Railways; Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology; Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology; Sainik Welfare; Science and Technology Scientific Institutes; ; Senior Citizens Welfare; Subject not mentioned elsewhere; All important policy matters;
Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 13 May 2001
Preceded by	P. Raju
Constituency	Paravur
11th Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly
	In office; 22 May 2021 – 18 May 2026
Governor	Arif Mohammad Khan; Rajendra Arlekar
Chief Minister	Pinarayi Vijayan
Preceded by	Ramesh Chennithala
Succeeded by	Pinarayi Vijayan
Personal details
Born	Vadasseri Damodara Menon Satheesan; 31 May 1964 (age 62); Nettoor, Kerala, India
Party	Indian National Congress
Spouse	R. Lakshmi Priya
Children	1
Education	Sacred Heart College, Thevara; Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kochi; The Kerala Law Academy Law College, Thiruvananthapuram; Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram;
Website	vdsatheesan.com

Vadasseri Damodaran Menon Satheesan (born 31 May 1964) is an Indian politician, lawyer and statesman who is serving as the 13th Chief Minister of Kerala since May 2026. A member of the Indian National Congress, he has represented Paravur in the Kerala Legislative Assembly since 2001.

In the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, he led the Congress-led UDF to a landslide victory, with the alliance securing 102 seats in the 140-member assembly and ending the CPI(M)-led LDF's decade-long rule in the state.

Early life

V. D. Satheesan was born on 31 May 1964 in Nettoor, Kochi, Kerala, to Vadasseri Vilasini Amma and K. Damodara Menon. Satheesan got his family name, Vadasseri, through matrilineal succession.

He studied at Panangad High School in Panangad. He completed his Pre-degree and B.A. in Sociology from Sacred Heart College, Thevara. Then he did Post Graduate Diploma and Masters in Social Work from Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kalamassery. He then did his LL.B. from the Kerala Law Academy Law College and LL.M. from Government Law College in Thiruvananthapuram.

Satheesan practiced Law in the Kerala High Court for around 10 years in the 1990s. He is fond of reading and trekking. He has also authored two books. He is married to R. Lakshmi Priya, and the couple have a daughter, Unnimaya.

Political career

Satheesan started his political journey as a student activist, joining Kerala Students Union (KSU). He was elected as the chairman of Mahatma Gandhi University Union during 1986–1987 as a KSU candidate. He also served as the secretary for National Students' Union and later rose through the Youth Congress.

Satheesan's first foray into legislative politics was in 1996, when he was still practising as a lawyer. He contested as a candidate for the Kerala Legislative Assembly from Paravur, then considered a communist stronghold. He lost the election to the Communist Party of India candidate P. Raju by a narrow margin. He contested again from the same constituency in 2001 and won. He has held the seat since, winning consecutive elections in 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021, and 2026.

His political breakthrough came in May 2021, when the Congress Working Committee declared V. D. Satheesan as the Leader of the Opposition in the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly. He was previously denied ministerial positions, reportedly due to his strained relationships with influential communitarian and communal lobbies.

Since then, he emerged as a key leader of the United Democratic Front (Kerala) (UDF) and a vocal critic of the ruling Left Democratic Front. He has been credited in media reports as a key figure in the United Democratic Front’s performance in the 2024 Indian general election, the 2025 local government body elections, multiple by-elections, and the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, in which the alliance won 102 of 140 seats.

His political persona has been described as assertive, confident and confrontational. In a departure from traditional Congress politics, he has been reluctant to seek the favour of influential communal organisations in Kerala. Within the party, he is seen as a part of the younger, reform-oriented section in Kerala and is credited with grooming a new generation of potential leaders within the INC.

Chief Minister of Kerala

Following the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, Satheesan was elected as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party and was announced as the Chief Minister-designate of Kerala by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on 14 May 2026 amid speculation over the party's leadership choice.

He was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Kerala on 18 May 2026 at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, succeeding Pinarayi Vijayan.

As Chief Minister of Kerala, Satheesan also held the charge of 35 departments, including Finance, Taxes, General Administration, Law, Disaster Management, Science and Technology and Ports.

Electoral performance

Kerala Legislative Assembly
Year	Constituency	Party	Votes	%	Opponent	Opponent party	Votes	%	Margin	Margin in %	Result
1996	Paravur	INC	38,607	43.67	P.Raju	CPI	39,723	44.93	-1,116	-1.26%	Lost
2001			48,859	50.11%	P.Raju		41,425	42.48	7,434	7.63%	Won
2006			51,099	51.06	K.M Dinakaran		43,307	43.27	7,792	7.79%	Won
2011			74,632	51.78	Pannian Ravindran		62,955	43.91	11,349	7.87%	Won
2016			74,985	46.70	Sarada Mohan		54,351	33.85	20,364	12.85%	Won
2021			82,264	51.87	M.T. Nixon		60,963	38.44	21,301	13.47%	Won
2026			78,658	49.2	E. T. Taison		58,058	36.3	20,600	12.7%	Won

References

↑ "Notification No. Pro. 5/57(2)/2026/GAD: Reassignment and Allocation of Ministerial Portfolios" (PDF). General Administration (Protocol) Department, Government of Kerala. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
↑ "Allocation of Portfolios to Ministers (Kerala Council of Ministers)" (PDF). General Administration Department, Government of Kerala. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 May 2026. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
↑ "Chennithala rebuts CPI(M) accusation of Congress-BJP collusion in ED raid on Pinarayi's house". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 May 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
↑ "VDS സർക്കാരിന്റെ കന്നി ബജറ്റ്; വിസ്മയങ്ങൾ കാത്ത് കേരളം". 24 News (in Malayalam). 18 June 2026. Archived from the original on 18 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
↑ "V D Satheesan: No-nonsense Congress leader in Kerala takes centre stage". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 15 May 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
↑ "Who is V.D. Satheesan? Kerala's new CM & grassroots Congress leader who led UDF's comeback". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
↑ "Know the Chief Minister - Kerala CM". Government of Kerala. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
↑ "V D Satheesan: A Journey Through Leadership and Advocacy". V D Satheesan: A Journey Through Leadership and Advocacy.
↑ "V D Satheesan: A Journey Through Leadership and Advocacy". V D Satheesan: A Journey Through Leadership and Advocacy.
↑ "V D Satheesan".
1 2 "Members - Kerala Legislature".
↑ "Personal Profile | Adv. VD SATHEESAN". Retrieved 18 May 2026.
1 2 3 4 5 Surya, Jisha. "How VD Satheesan fought his way to Kerala's top post". The News Minute. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
↑ "V D Satheesan's book 'Adam Nee Evide Aakunnu' to be released on May 9 amid CM race". @onmanorama.
↑ "പിണറായി വിജയന്റെ കരുത്തിനെ നേരിടാൻ വി.ഡി സതീശന്റെ പോരാട്ടവീര്യം". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Retrieved 26 May 2021.
↑ "Members - Kerala Legislature". www.niyamasabha.org. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
1 2 TOI News Desk. "Who is VD Satheesan? Kerala's new CM & grassroots Congress leader who led the UDF's comeback, ending LDF rule". Times of India. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
↑ Sushanth. "ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 1957 - 2016(Kerala)". data-analytics.GitHub.io. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
↑ Sudhi, K. S. (19 March 2021). "Kerala Assembly Elections | Congress banks yet again on Satheesan in Paravur". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
↑ Thangal, Shihabuddin. "ഇനി പ്രതിപക്ഷത്തിന്റെ ചാട്ടുളി സതീശന്‍; തിരിച്ചുവരവിലേക്കുള്ള ആദ്യചുവട്‌". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
↑ Radhakrishnan, M. G. (11 May 2026). "Kerala Election Results 2026: UDF Landslide Ends Communist Rule as the Last Left Citadel Falls". Frontline. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
↑ "Congress names veteran VD Satheesan as its Chief Minister pick in Kerala". The Economic Times. 14 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
↑ "V D Satheesan takes oath as Kerala's new chief minister". The Economic Times. 18 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
↑ "Kerala portfolio allocation: CM Satheesan keeps 35 ministries, including finance; Ramesh Chennithala gets home, four other departments". The Times of India. 20 May 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
↑ "Kerala Ministers 2026: Full list of Cabinet Ministers and their portfolios". The Hindu. 19 May 2026. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 29 May 2026.

External links

[1] "Notification No. Pro. 5/57(2)/2026/GAD: Reassignment and Allocation of Ministerial Portfolios" (PDF). General Administration (Protocol) Department, Government of Kerala. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 10 June 2026.

[2] "Allocation of Portfolios to Ministers (Kerala Council of Ministers)" (PDF). General Administration Department, Government of Kerala. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 May 2026. Retrieved 20 May 2026.

[3] "Chennithala rebuts CPI(M) accusation of Congress-BJP collusion in ED raid on Pinarayi's house". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 May 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.

[4] "VDS സർക്കാരിന്റെ കന്നി ബജറ്റ്; വിസ്മയങ്ങൾ കാത്ത് കേരളം". 24 News (in Malayalam). 18 June 2026. Archived from the original on 18 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.

[5] "V D Satheesan: No-nonsense Congress leader in Kerala takes centre stage". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 15 May 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.

[6] "Who is V.D. Satheesan? Kerala's new CM & grassroots Congress leader who led UDF's comeback". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 May 2026.

[CMProfile-7] "Know the Chief Minister - Kerala CM". Government of Kerala. Retrieved 9 August 2026.

[8] "V D Satheesan: A Journey Through Leadership and Advocacy". V D Satheesan: A Journey Through Leadership and Advocacy.

[9] "V D Satheesan: A Journey Through Leadership and Advocacy". V D Satheesan: A Journey Through Leadership and Advocacy.

[10] "V D Satheesan".

[:2-11] 1 2 "Members - Kerala Legislature".

[12] "Personal Profile | Adv. VD SATHEESAN". Retrieved 18 May 2026.

[nm14-13] 1 2 3 4 5 Surya, Jisha. "How VD Satheesan fought his way to Kerala's top post". The News Minute. Retrieved 14 May 2026.

[14] "V D Satheesan's book 'Adam Nee Evide Aakunnu' to be released on May 9 amid CM race". @onmanorama.

[15] "പിണറായി വിജയന്റെ കരുത്തിനെ നേരിടാൻ വി.ഡി സതീശന്റെ പോരാട്ടവീര്യം". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Retrieved 26 May 2021.

[Members_-_Kerala_Legislature-16] "Members - Kerala Legislature". www.niyamasabha.org. Retrieved 20 May 2021.

[:4-17] 1 2 TOI News Desk. "Who is VD Satheesan? Kerala's new CM & grassroots Congress leader who led the UDF's comeback, ending LDF rule". Times of India. Retrieved 14 May 2026.

[18] Sushanth. "ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 1957 - 2016(Kerala)". data-analytics.GitHub.io. Retrieved 20 May 2021.

[19] Sudhi, K. S. (19 March 2021). "Kerala Assembly Elections | Congress banks yet again on Satheesan in Paravur". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 May 2021.

[20] Thangal, Shihabuddin. "ഇനി പ്രതിപക്ഷത്തിന്റെ ചാട്ടുളി സതീശന്‍; തിരിച്ചുവരവിലേക്കുള്ള ആദ്യചുവട്‌". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 22 May 2021.

[21] Radhakrishnan, M. G. (11 May 2026). "Kerala Election Results 2026: UDF Landslide Ends Communist Rule as the Last Left Citadel Falls". Frontline. Retrieved 14 May 2026.

[22] "Congress names veteran VD Satheesan as its Chief Minister pick in Kerala". The Economic Times. 14 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.

[23] "V D Satheesan takes oath as Kerala's new chief minister". The Economic Times. 18 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.

[24] "Kerala portfolio allocation: CM Satheesan keeps 35 ministries, including finance; Ramesh Chennithala gets home, four other departments". The Times of India. 20 May 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 29 May 2026.

[25] "Kerala Ministers 2026: Full list of Cabinet Ministers and their portfolios". The Hindu. 19 May 2026. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 29 May 2026.