Kerala UDF Cabinet 2026: Two women record maiden win, become ministers in Team Satheesan

Two women MLAs, K A Thulasi, 53, and Bindhu Krishna, 54, who recorded their maiden electoral victories, were rewarded with ministerial posts in the UDF cabinet, which was announced on Sunday.

Bindhu Krishna, who has been the face of Congress-led protests in Kollam against the LDF government, won by a majority of 16830 votes, defeating CPM candidate S Jayamohan. She had lost in 2021 to CPM's M Mukesh. Her name figured in the discussions over the list of MLAs to be inducted into the cabinet from the beginning.

Community equations and the need for a representative from Kollam also favoured her. The party took note of her vast experience in social work, the ability to connect with people and the manner in which she spearheaded UDF dominance in Kollam, an otherwise Leftist stronghold.

K A Thulasi, wife of Palakkad M P V K Sreekandan, is the KPCC General Secretary and the Head of Department of History, NSS College, Nenmara. She created history in Kongad, which has always voted for an LDF candidate since its formation in 2011. In the 2026 assembly elections, she won by a majority of 3706 votes against the CPM candidate K Santhakumari.

Thulasi, whose name was not initially considered for the ministerial post, came into the picture following demand for SC and women's representation in the cabinet. She was the Congress candidate in Ottapalam in the Lok Sabha elections 2004; however, she lost to CPM's S Ajayakumar.