LDF accepts poll defeat, will be constructive opposition: MV Govindan

CPI(M) State Secretary MV Govindan announced that the LDF will not boycott the new CM's swearing-in and will function as a constructive opposition after its major election setback, ending its decade-long rule in Keralam.

Keralam Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretary MV Govindan on Friday said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) will not boycott the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan, adding that the alliance would function as a constructive opposition. He said the party leadership had held detailed discussions on the recent election defeat, terming the outcome a major setback for the LDF and acknowledging that multiple factors contributed to the loss.

A day earlier, Congress officially named Satheesan as the next Chief Minister of Keralam following the UDF's sweeping victory in the 2026 Assembly elections. Satheesan is scheduled to take oath as Chief Minister on May 18 at 10 am at Lok Bhavan.

Speaking to the reporters in Kannur, Govindan said, "The LDF would not boycott the swearing-in ceremony as the UDF had done earlier and would instead function as a constructive opposition. The party leadership had discussed the election defeat in detail."

"The discussions held at the state leadership level are not yet complete, and the matter would be further examined across all party units," he said.

UDF Ends LDF's Decade-Long Rule

The Congress-led UDF secured a decisive mandate in the 140-member Keralam Assembly, winning 102 seats and ending the Left Democratic Front (LDF)'s decade-long rule in the state.

Who is VD Satheesan?

Satheesan, who represented the Paravur constituency, secured his sixth consecutive Assembly victory in the 2026 polls, securing 78,658 votes and defeating CPI candidate ET Taison Master by a margin of 20,600 votes. He has represented the Paravur constituency for 25 years, having first won the seat in 2001. A lawyer by profession, he began his political journey through the Kerala Students Union (KSU) and later became active in the Youth Congress. He had served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Keralam Legislative Assembly since 2021 and emerged as one of the prominent faces of the UDF campaign against the outgoing Left government. (ANI)

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