Pinarayi Vijayan resigns as Kerala CM after LDF’s crushing Assembly poll defeat

Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday resigned as Kerala Chief Minister following the LDF's crushing defeat in the April 9 Assembly elections, bringing an end to a decade-long tenure in office. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has accepted the resignation and requested Vijayan to continue as caretaker chief minister until alternative arrangements are made, according to a Raj Bhavan statement.

Vijayan, who led the state for two consecutive terms over the past 10 years, submitted his resignation after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a resounding victory, sweeping aside the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. According to Election Commission data, the UDF has won 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, while the CPI(M)-headed LDF has won 35 seats. The BJP also made a breakthrough in the state by winning three seats, opening its account in the Assembly after a prolonged electoral drought.