The post of Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly has been held by 12 politicians since the Assembly was established in 1957. All have belonged to either the Indian National Congress, the Communist Party of India or the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The current Leader of the Opposition is Pinarayi Vijayan since 18 May 2026. V. S. Achuthanandan has served as Leader of the Opposition for 15 non-consecutive years which makes him the longest serving leader of the opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly.
List of Leaders of Opposition Key
SL No. Portrait NameConstituencyParty Term of officeAssemblyChief MinisterTerm of officeFromTo1P. T. Chacko VazhoorIndian National Congress5 April 195731 July 19591st (1957-59)E. M. S. Namboodiripad 2E. M. S. Namboodiripad PattambiCommunist Party of India22 February 196010 September 19642nd (1960-64)Pattom Thanu Pillai R. Sankar 3K. Karunakaran MalaIndian National Congress6 March 19671 November 19693rd (1967-70)E. M. S. Namboodiripad (2)E. M. S. Namboodiripad PattambiCommunist Party of India (Marxist)1 November 19691 August 1970C. Achutha Menon 4 October 197025 March 19774th (1970-77) Alathur25 March 197722 February 19785th (1977-79)K. Karunakaran A. K. Antony (3)K. Karunakaran MalaIndian National Congress23 February 197813 August 1979A. K. Antony P. K. Vasudevan Nair 4T. K. RamakrishnanThrippunithuraCommunist Party of India (Marxist)13 August 197911 October 1979P. K. Vasudevan Nair 5P. K. Vasudevan Nair AlappuzhaCommunist Party of India11 October 19791 December 1979CH Mohammed Koya (3)K. Karunakaran MalaIndian National Congress25 January 198020 October 19816th (1980-82)E. K. Nayanar 6E. K. Nayanar MalampuzhaCommunist Party of India (Marxist)28 December 198117 March 1982K. Karunakaran 24 May 198225 March 19877th (1982-87) (3)K. Karunakaran MalaIndian National Congress26 March 198717 June 19918th (1987-91)E. K. Nayanar (6)E. K. Nayanar Thrikaripur Communist Party of India (Marxist)24 June 199129 February 19929th (1991-96)K. Karunakaran 7V. S. AchuthanandanMararikulam 1 March 19929 May 1996K. Karunakaran A. K. Antony 8A. K. Antony CherthalaIndian National Congress20 May 199613 May 200110th (1996-2001)E. K. Nayanar (7)V. S. AchuthanandanMalampuzhaCommunist Party of India (Marxist)17 May 200112 May 200611th (2001-06)A. K. Antony Oommen Chandy 9Oommen ChandyPuthuppallyIndian National Congress18 May 200614 May 201112th (2006-11)V. S. Achuthanandan (7)V. S. AchuthanandanMalampuzhaCommunist Party of India (Marxist)18 May 201120 May 201613th (2011-16)Oommen Chandy 10Ramesh ChennithalaHaripadIndian National Congress25 May 201620 May 202114th (2016-21)Pinarayi Vijayan 11V. D. Satheesan Paravur22 May 202118 May 202615th (2021-2026) 12Pinarayi VijayanDharmadamCommunist Party of India (Marxist)18 May 2026Incumbent16th (2026-2031)V.D. Satheesan
Leaders of the Opposition who have served as Chief Minister +S.No.NameNo: of terms served as chief ministerTenure as chief ministerNo: of terms served as leader of the oppositionTenure as leader of the opposition1.E.M.S. Namboodiripad21957-59, 1967-6941960-64, 1969-70, 1970-77, 1977-782.K. Karunakaran41977, 1981-82, 1982-87, 1991-9541967-69, 1978-79, 1980-81, 1987-913.A.K. Antony31977-78, 1995-96, 2001-0411996-20014.P.K. Vasudevan Nair11978-79119795.E.K. Nayanar31980-81, 1987-91, 1996-200131981-82, 1982-87, 1991-926.Oommen Chandy22004-06, 2011-1612006-117.V.S. Achuthanandan12006-1131992-96, 2001-06, 2011-168.Pinarayi Vijayan22016-21, 2021-2612026-319.V. D. Satheesan12026-3112021-26
E.M.S. Namboodiripad, A.K. Antony, E.K. Nayanar, Oommen Chandy, P.K. Vasudevan Nair and Pinarayi Vijayan first served as Chief Ministers before occupying the post of Leader of the Opposition.
K. Karunakaran, V.S. Achuthanandan and V. D. Satheesan served as Leader of the Opposition before becoming Chief Minister.
P.T. Chacko, T.K. Ramakrishnan and Ramesh Chennithala have not served as Chief Minister. Conversely, Pattom A. Thanu Pillai, R. Sankar, C. Achutha Menon and C. H. Mohammed Koya have not served as Leader of the Opposition.
Statistics NamePartyLength of termNo: of termsTermsTotal years in office1CPI(M)1992-96, 2001-06, 2011-1614 years, 65 days32E. M. S. NamboodiripadCPI(M)/CPI1960-64, 1969-70, 1970-77, 1977-7812 years, 220 days43INC1967-69, 1978-79, 1980-81, 1987-918 years, 118 days44E. K. NayanarCPI(M)1981-82, 1982-87, 1991-925 years, 270 days35INC2006-114 years, 361 days16Ramesh Chennithala2016-214 years, 360 days171996-20014 years, 358 days18V. D. Satheesan2021-202619P. T. Chacko1957-592 years, 117 days110T. K. RamakrishnanCPI(M)197960 days111CPI197951 days112Pinarayi VijayanCPI(M) 2026–present1
Timeline
See also Kerala Council of Ministers Deputy Chief Ministers of Kerala Chief Ministers of Kerala
References
Further reading