Thiruvananthapuram, May 14 -- Bringing an end to more than 10 days of speculation, the Congress on Thursday named senior leader VD Satheesan as the next Chief Minister of Keralam following the United Democratic Front's (UDF) sweeping victory in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Satheesan, who led the UDF campaign in the state, will take oath as Chief Minister on May 18 (Monday) at 10 AM at Lok Bhavan.

The announcement came after the Congress-led UDF secured a decisive mandate in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, winning 102 seats and paving the way for the alliance's return to power in the state.

Earlier in the day, Satheesan met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to formally stake a claim to form the government.

Meanwhile, CM-designate VD...