Pinarayi Vijayan resigned as the Kerala Chief Minister on Monday, following the LDF's rout in the 2026 Kerala assembly elections.

The Office of the Chief Minister informed that Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was communicated via a messenger. The Governor has accepted the resignation and has asked him to continue as caretaker Chief Minister until the new government assumes power.

The LDF, which had been optimistic about a third term in office, could win only 35 seats when the results were declared on Monday. The UDF significantly increased its vote share and bagged 102 seats.

Even Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who had comfortably won from his constituency, Dharmadam, with a majority of over 50,000 votes in the past, was made to sweat this time. He trailed UDF candidate Abdul Rasheed till the 6th round and Vijayan managed to get a lead only in the 7th round. 

The CPM, which had confidently given seats to sitting MLAs and Ministers, saw many of them fail in their strongholds. The party also witnessed a massive drain of votes, especially in seats which it had always considered safe bets. It is being perceived as a manifestation of pent-up anger within the party against the CPM leadership's dictatorial tendencies. 

The UDF made a clean sweep in five districts, Malappuram, Idukki, Wayanad, Kottayam and Ernakulam. In a statement issued by the CPM state council on Monday, the party admitted that it had hoped to return to power even with a nominal majority.

"The party has made significant feats in the past 10 years in almost all the sectors and even then the party failed to garner votes. This requires introspection more than routine justifications," the party said in the statement.