Thiruvananthapuram, May 5 (IANS) The emphatic return of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) to power with 102 seats marks both a political resurgence and the beginning of a delicate balancing act.

After a decade in the opposition, the coalition comprising the Congress (63), IUML (22), Kerala Congress (7), RSP (3) and smaller allies faces the immediate challenge of converting a decisive mandate into a stable and representative government.

The Left has been reduced to 35 seats, while the BJP has secured three, underscoring the scale of the UDF’s victory and the expectations riding on it.

The first and most closely watched decision will be the selection of the Chief Minister.

With multiple contenders in the fray, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan, senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, and AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, the Congress high command will have to weigh administrative experience, generational change and political messaging.

The choice is not merely about leadership but about setting the tone for governance and internal cohesion over the next five years.

Once the leadership question is settled, the more arduous exercise begins in naming the 21-member cabinet that reflects both coalition arithmetic and Kerala’s intricate social fabric.

Allies will expect their due share.

The IUML is likely to secure five cabinet berths, Kerala Congress two, the RSP and Anoop Jacob one each and the allies, in line with past precedents.

This leaves the Congress to distribute the remaining positions among its 63 MLAs, a task complicated by what many describe as a problem of plenty.

Within the Congress, the selection process will inevitably trigger debates over regional balance, caste and community representation, and generational inclusion.

Names such as state party president Sunny Joseph, veterans Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and K. Muraleedharan, N. Sakthan, M. Vincent, and others, including P.C. Vishnunath, A.P. Anil Kumar, Chandy Oommen and Mathew Kuzhalnadan, are already in circulation.

Equally significant is the push for women’s representation, with Uma Thomas, Bindhu Krishna, Shanimol Usman and Remya Haridas among the frontrunners.

Beyond the cabinet, key constitutional posts, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Chief Whip will also need careful calibration to maintain coalition harmony and legislative efficiency.

How the Congress leadership navigates these overlapping demands, balancing merit with representation, ambition with accommodation, will determine whether this sweeping mandate translates into effective governance or early friction.

The transition from opposition to administration, while triumphant, is rarely seamless, as for the UDF, the real test begins now.

–IANS

sg/dpb