- Party
- Indian National Congress (INC)
- Born
- 31 May 1964, Nettoor, Kerala
- Education (declared)
- Bachelor of Law, University of Kerala (1990)
- In current post since
- 18 May 2026
- Seat
- Paravur, Ernakulam (Legislative Assembly)
V. D. Satheesan was born in Nettoor, near Kochi, in 1964. He came into politics through the Kerala Students Union, the Congress student wing, and was chairman of the Mahatma Gandhi University Union in 1986. He studied law and practised at the Kerala High Court for about a decade.
Paravur and the opposition years
He lost his first assembly contest in Paravur in 1996 but won the seat in 2001 and has held it since, six times in all. After the Left Democratic Front won a second straight term in 2021, the Congress made him Leader of the Opposition, a post he held for five years against the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
Chief Minister
The April 2026 election reversed the result. The UDF won 102 of the 140 seats, and Satheesan was named Chief Minister-designate on 14 May. He was sworn in on 18 May 2026 at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram as Kerala's 13th Chief Minister.
His 2026 affidavit declares 18 pending criminal cases. Nearly all arise from protests and rallies in 2021 to 2023, when he was opposition leader, and are filed under sections on unlawful assembly, rioting and blocking roads. A few add charges of obstructing or hurting public servants. None has reached a verdict, and he declares no convictions. He declares assets of about Rs 6.7 crore.
Career at a glance
- 1986Chairman of the Mahatma Gandhi University Union, as a KSU candidate
- 1996Loses his first contest in Paravur
- 2001Wins Paravur; re-elected in 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021
- May 2021Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala assembly
- May 2026UDF wins 102 of 140 seats; sworn in as Chief Minister
Cases and allegations
An allegation, FIR or chargesheet is not proof of guilt. Only a court can convict, and convictions can be overturned on appeal. Status is as last checked on 2 Nov 2026.
Fifteen cases registered in Thiruvananthapuram, most under sections for unlawful assembly, rioting and obstructing a road, some adding obstruction of or hurt to public servants (IPC 332, 353). One, at the Museum police station, is listed as under investigation. There is no court finding in any of them. Source
Two cases before the special court for MPs and MLAs in Ernakulam and one in Kottayam, under unlawful assembly, obstruction and, in Kottayam, criminal trespass. No court finding. Source
The record card
Facts only, each from a public record. This is not a rating. Affidavit figures are the leader's own sworn declarations at the time of filing.
| Declared criminal cases | 18Kerala 2026 affidavit, Paravur; mostly unlawful assembly and rioting (IPC 143, 147, 149) from protests | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Convictions | None declared2026 affidavit | Source |
| Declared assets | Rs 6.66 crore2026; liabilities of Rs 41.5 lakh | Source |
| Paravur result, 2026 | Won by 20,600 votes49.2% of the vote, against E. T. Taison | Source |
| UDF seats in 2026 assembly election | 102 of 140Results declared 4 May 2026 | Source |
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Sources
Photo: Fotokannan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
This profile is built only from public records and attributed reports; read how we make these profiles. If anything here is wrong or out of date, or if you are V. D. Satheesan's office and want to respond, write to devv@bharatverseh.com. Every correction is listed in our corrections log.