Updated on: May 12, 2026 10:40:05 AM IST
Top: Kerala legislative assembly LoP VD Satheesan with state party unit chief Sunny Joseph, party General Secretary KC Venugopal and Congress senior leader Ramesh Chennithala | Bottom: Newly sworn-in Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay
Tamil Nadu, Kerala government news LIVE updates: Even after over a week since the Kerala assembly elections 2026 results gave the UDF a decisive victory, the Congress is yet to reach a consensus and announce its pick for the chief minister’s post, for which there reportedly are three main frontrunners — KC Venugopal, VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front came back to power in Kerala on May 4 after a decade of Left rule. However, the party has so far failed to pick a chief ministerial candidate for the state.
Meanwhile, actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay or ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay took oath as chief minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10 after a four-day-long struggle to hit the majority mark of 118 in the 234-member state assembly. His party won 108 seats in the Tamil Nadu election, 10 short of the magic number.
Tamil Nadu, Kerala government news | Key points
-While the suspense continues over Kerala chief minister, several leaders of the Congress reportedly headed to Delhi to discuss and pick the new leadership of Kerala, even as most of them remained tight-lipped about who could get the post.
-The discussions were expected to take place on Tuesday as former Congress Kerala chiefs K Muraleedharan and VM Sudheeran confirmed that they would be in Delhi for discussions on invitation of the high command.
-Ever since Congress-led bloc won in Kerala with 102 out the total 140 seats in the state assembly, several names have emerged as potential candidates for the post of chief minister — most prominently: KC Venugopal, VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala.
-In Tamil Nadu, actor-politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) supremo Vijay took oath as chief minister on Sunday, May 10. He has since then issued several orders, most recent being the closure of 717 TASMAC liquor shops located within 500 meters of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stations.
-Currently, 4,765 liquor retail shops are being operated by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC). Among these, the CM Vijay, ordered an audit to identify shops located within 500 meters of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stations, an official release said on Tuesday.
…Read More
The Congress-led United Democratic Front came back to power in Kerala on May 4 after a decade of Left rule. However, the party has so far failed to pick a chief ministerial candidate for the state.
Meanwhile, actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay or ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay took oath as chief minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10 after a four-day-long struggle to hit the majority mark of 118 in the 234-member state assembly. His party won 108 seats in the Tamil Nadu election, 10 short of the magic number.
Tamil Nadu, Kerala government news | Key points
-While the suspense continues over Kerala chief minister, several leaders of the Congress reportedly headed to Delhi to discuss and pick the new leadership of Kerala, even as most of them remained tight-lipped about who could get the post.
-The discussions were expected to take place on Tuesday as former Congress Kerala chiefs K Muraleedharan and VM Sudheeran confirmed that they would be in Delhi for discussions on invitation of the high command.
-Ever since Congress-led bloc won in Kerala with 102 out the total 140 seats in the state assembly, several names have emerged as potential candidates for the post of chief minister — most prominently: KC Venugopal, VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala.
-In Tamil Nadu, actor-politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) supremo Vijay took oath as chief minister on Sunday, May 10. He has since then issued several orders, most recent being the closure of 717 TASMAC liquor shops located within 500 meters of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stations.
-Currently, 4,765 liquor retail shops are being operated by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC). Among these, the CM Vijay, ordered an audit to identify shops located within 500 meters of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stations, an official release said on Tuesday.
Follow all the updates here:
May 12, 2026 10:35:40 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt news LIVE: AIADMK splitting? Anti-EPS faction backs Vijay, flexes MLA ‘majority’
Tamil Nadu govt news LIVE: The spectacular political rise of actor-turned-politician Vijay has triggered a full-blown internal crisis within the AIADMK, with rival camps now openly battling over whether to support the new Tamil Nadu government or continue under party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Just days after Vijay was sworn in as chief minister, a major faction within the AIADMK publicly extended support to his government, exposing deep divisions in the party that once dominated Tamil Nadu politics.
The faction led by senior AIADMK leaders CV Shanmugam and SP Velumani on Tuesday announced support for the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government. “The people’s mandate is not for TVK. The mandate is for Vijay to become the chief minister,” Shanmugam said while congratulating the new chief minister and extending support to the government.
The faction also claimed that a majority of the party’s 47 MLAs were backing them, not party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami. The camp asserted that while EPS retained the support of only around 20-22 legislators, most MLAs favoured extending support to the Vijay-led TVK government in the interest of political stability. Read more.
May 12, 2026 10:25:57 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt news LIVE: VCK welcomes TVK’s crackdown on liquor
Tamil Nadu govt news LIVE: VCK welcomes Tamil Nadu government’s order to close over 700 government-run retail liquor shops in the state. MLA Vanniyarasu praised CM Vijay for the move.
May 12, 2026 10:23:23 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt news LIVE: AIADMK’s CV Shanmugam says not in alliance with anyone but DMK
Tamil Nadu govt news LIVE: AIADMK’s CV Shanmugam said that him and his faction of the party “are not in alliance with any party except TVK”.
May 12, 2026 10:16:11 AM IST
Kerala CM announcement news LIVE: BJP mocks Congress over failure to pick chief minister
Kerala CM announcement news LIVE: On the pending Keralam chief minister announcement, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla mocked the Congress over not reaching a consensus and said, “… The Congress has got a full majority. Even after so many days, the Congress party has not been able to decide who will be the chief minister. It is being said that under pressure from the Jamaat, Priyanka Vadra is pushing forward the name of VD Satheesan while Rahul Gandhi is pushing forward the name of KC Venugopal.”
Some people are bringing forward Ramesh Chennithala, Poonawalla said, speaking to ANI news agency, and added that “some people want to make Shashi Tharoor the chief minister”.
“It seems the Congress party has made a plan to give five chief ministers in five years…,” he said.
May 12, 2026 10:12:09 AM IST
Kerala CM announcement news LIVE updates: Who are the frontrunners?
Ever since Congress-led bloc won in Kerala with 102 out the total 140 seats in the state assembly, several names have emerged as potential candidates for the post of chief minister.
The party has been holding talks internally to decide its Kerala CM pick, for which senior leaders KV Venugopal, VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala are being reported as the main frontrunners.
Discussions are expected to take place in Delhi today as former Congress Kerala chiefs K Muraleedharan and VM Sudheeran confirmed that they would be in the city for talks over the CM post on invitation of the high command.
May 12, 2026 10:06:45 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt news LIVE: CM Vijay orders closure of over 700 TASMAC liquor stores
Tamil Nadu govt news LIVE: Newly sworn-in Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay on Tuesday issued orders for the closure of 717 TASMAC liquor shops located within 500 meters of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stations, the government said on Tuesday.
The order should be executed within two weeks for the welfare of the public, it said.
“Currently, 4,765 liquor retail shops are being operated by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC). Among these, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, S Joseph Vijay, ordered an audit to identify shops located within 500 meters of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stations,” an official release said on Tuesday. Read full report here
May 12, 2026 9:56:09 AM IST
Kerala CM news LIVE: Still no chief minister pick by Congress
Tamil Nadu, Kerala govt news LIVE: The Congress has still not announced its Kerala chief minister pick even after a week of assembly election results in which the party-led UDF alliance won a decisive mandate.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front came back to power in Kerala on May 4 after a decade of Left rule.
