The newly constituted Kerala Legislative Assembly is set to witness its first major political contest on Friday with a three-cornered election for the Speaker’s post, despite the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) holding a comfortable majority in the House. The contest is being viewed as an early indication of the political positioning and strategies of the three major alliances in the state following the Assembly elections.

The UDF, which commands 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, has nominated senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan for the Speaker’s position and is widely expected to secure victory. The Left Democratic Front (LDF), which holds 35 seats, has fielded senior CPI(M) leader and former minister A.C. Moideen, while the BJP, with three MLAs in the House, has nominated first-time legislator B.B. Gopakumar from Chathannoor.

The BJP’s decision to contest the Speaker election is being seen as a significant political move, as it marks the first time in Kerala Assembly history that the party has fielded a candidate for the post. The proposal for Gopakumar’s candidature is expected to be formally moved by BJP legislators Rajeev Chandrasekhar and V. Muraleedharan. Political observers view the move as an attempt by the BJP to strengthen its visibility and legislative presence in the state.

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Alongside the Speaker election, the Assembly will also hold voting for the Deputy Speaker’s position, for which the UDF has nominated Shanimol Usman. The proceedings follow the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected MLAs, which featured a mix of political symbolism, ceremonial tradition, and emotional exchanges among members across party lines under the supervision of Pro-tem Speaker G. Sudhakaran.

Several notable moments marked the oath-taking session, including Fisheries and Social Justice Minister V.E. Abdul Gafoor becoming the first MLA to take oath and Attingal MLA O.S. Ambika becoming the first woman member to be sworn in. Manjeshwaram MLA A.K.M. Ashraf took oath in Kannada, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the state’s border constituencies. Former CPI(M) leaders V. Kunjikrishnan and T.K. Govindan, now backed by the UDF, also drew attention with symbolic gestures toward Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan during the proceedings.

The Kerala Assembly is scheduled to reconvene on May 29 for Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar’s policy address, which will outline the new government’s agenda. Discussions on the address are expected to take place from June 1 to 3, followed by the presentation of the UDF government’s full budget in June. The administration is also preparing a White Paper on Kerala’s financial condition, indicating that fiscal management and economic recovery will dominate the initial phase of the new government’s legislative agenda.

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