V. D. Satheesan is an Indian National Congress leader from Kerala who became the state's 13th Chief Minister on 18 May 2026.
He has represented Paravur in the Kerala Legislative Assembly since 2001, winning six consecutive elections after narrowly losing the seat in 1996.
A lawyer by training, he rose through student politics in the KSU and NSUI and practised in the Kerala High Court before entering electoral politics.
From 2021 to 2026 he served as Leader of the Opposition.
He has done his pre-degree and B.A. in Sociology at Sacred Heart College, Thevara.
Postgraduate diploma and Master's in Social Work at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kalamassery.
LL.B. from Kerala Law Academy Law College and LL.M. from Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram.
Satheesan was born to K. Damodara Menon and Vadasseri Vilasini Amma.
He is married to R. Lakshmi Priya, and they have a daughter, Unnimaya.
He lost his first Assembly contest at Paravur in 1996 by a little over 1,100 votes, then went on to win the seat six times in a row
