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Former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has been appointed as the Leader of the Opposition by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). This announcement came on the day the Congress picked VD Satheesan as the Kerala Chief Minister. The official announcement was made by CPI(M) through a Facebook post.
These announcements mark a significant shift in political roles, as VD Satheesan, who served as the Leader of the Opposition in 2021, is now set to take office as Chief Minister, while Pinarayi Vijayan, who held the Chief Minister position, is taking over the role of Leader of the Opposition.
Pinarayi Vijayan, a senior CPI(M) leader, had served as the Chief Minister of Kerala for ten years from 2016 to 2026.
In the 2026 Assembly polls, the LDF alliance saw a significant decline, falling from 99 seats in 2021 to 35 seats. The CPI(M) won only 26 seats, while the alliance's second-largest party, the Communist Party of India (CPI), secured eight seats. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won one seat. Notably, 12 CPI(M) ministers from the 2021 cabinet lost their positions. In the Dharmadom Assembly constituency, where Pinarayi contested, a tight race was witnessed, and Pinarayi secured the seat with 19,247 votes. His 2016 winning margin was 36,905.
Before the announcement, there were reports that the CPI had openly opposed the appointment of Pinarayi Vijayan as the Leader of the Opposition during a leadership meeting. Senior party leaders argued that the position should go to a new face. There was also speculation that former Finance Minister and senior CPI(M) leader KN Balagopal might be appointed as the Leader of the Opposition.
Pinarayi Vijayan, who served as the longest-running Secretary of the Kerala State Committee of the CPI(M) from 1998 to 2015, entered politics while a student. He was actively involved in the protests during the national emergency, and was imprisoned and tortured during that time. He later served as the Minister for Electricity and Co-operation from 1996 to 1998 under the EK Nayanar cabinet.