After assuming charge of the Home portfolio in the newly formed United Democratic Front (UDF) government, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala announced a slew of major reforms across the State’s 484 police stations. The changes were unveiled following a high-level meeting attended by senior police officers of the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP) and above at the police headquarters here on Saturday (May 23, 2026).

Aiming to transform police stations into citizen-friendly public service centres, the Minister said every person visiting a police station would be greeted with ‘Good morning’ or ‘Namaste’. Steps would also be taken to ensure cleanliness in all police stations, while complaints from the public would be heard with sensitivity and impartiality. As part of the reforms, the police training curriculum will also be revamped to bring about significant changes in policing practices.

Mr. Chennithala said there has been a growing opinion that police stations should have the presence of Sub-Inspectors (SIs), Circle Inspectors (CIs) and Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs). A five-member committee headed by the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Headquarters has been constituted to study the proposal, and further action will be taken based on its recommendations.

Vehicles lying abandoned for years on the premises of police stations will be removed under the provisions of the Police Act, the Minister said. The Minister also announced ‘Operation Toofan – The Narco Hunt,’ a major anti-drug drive by the Kerala Police scheduled to be launched on June 1, aimed at eradicating drug networks and curbing the exploitation of students by narcotics rackets.

As part of the operation, organised drug networks functioning covertly across the State will be targeted. Individuals involved in narcotics trafficking will be kept under strict surveillance, including those linked to parties at five-star hotels and DJ events, he said.

Mr. Chennithala also said stringent action would be initiated against perpetrators of crimes against women and children. The Janamaithri Police initiative will be strengthened, while technology-driven interventions will be introduced to reduce traffic accidents in the State. Against the backdrop of rising cybercrime, a comprehensive strategy will be formulated to tackle emerging cyber threats, he added. The Minister also assured that lawbreakers and offenders would face strict action.

Congress’s MLA-elects from across Kerala made a beeline for the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) headquarters at the Indira Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram for a closed-door meeting at 1 p.m. on Thursday (May 14, 2026), ahead of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) much-anticipated and somewhat long-drawn-out announcement of its pick for Kerala’s next United Democratic Front (UDF) Chief Minister. 

Meanwhile, Congress workers trickled into party offices in the State, as their eagerness to know the party high command’s choice for the top post appeared to reach a feverish pitch. The keenly expectant party workers gathering in sizeable numbers in front of the District Congress Committee (DCC) offices appeared relatively tame compared to the past ten days of raucous displays of factional loyalties and vying poster campaigns in the wake of the declaration of the election results on May 4. 

Television camera crews staked out in front of the residences of the purported top contenders for the post, including former Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan at Paravoor in Ernakulam, senior leader Ramesh Chennithala in Thiruvananthapuram, and AICC general secretary, K C Venugopal, MP, in New Delhi, adding to the mood of political suspense that seemed to have pervaded Kerala’s polity. 

So far, the AICC has successfully kept its choice a closely guarded secret, seemingly rendering the “leadership contest” a cliffhanger right up to the final whistle.

AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Deepadas Munsi, will attend the crucial meeting of the Congress’s Legislative Party (CLP) designates. She is expected to arrive at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport at 11 a.m. 

A KPCC insider said it was likely that Ms. Munsi might communicate the party high command’s decision to the MLA-designates before the All India Congress Committee (AICC) makes the official announcement from New Delhi. He said the Congress was also likely to seek an appointment with the Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar at the earliest as a first step towards government formation. 

Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament, Rahul Gandhi, and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge had held a closed-door meeting in New Delhi to take a final call on the leadership question and deferred the announcement to Thursday (May 14, 2026). 

Faced with opposing rallies and posters in support of the three Chief Minister probables, senior leader Jairam Ramesh, had told reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday (May 13, 2026), somewhat cryptically, that the high command would factor in public sentiment concerning the Kerala Chief Minister’s post. 

Meanwhile, United Democratic Front (UDF) constituents, including Kerala Congress (Joseph) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leaders, have sought an appointment with Mr. Arlekar ostensibly to hand over letters supporting the Congress’s prospective government. 

Meanwhile, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leadership is scheduled to convene at the house of the party’s State president, Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, at Panakkad in Malappuram to lay the groundwork for government formation, including finalising the party’s choices for the next UDF cabinet. 

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday (May 10, 2026) hit out at the BJP amid ongoing deliberations over the selection of Kerala’s next Chief Minister, saying the grand old party does not function on instructions from Nagpur.

Mr. Chennithala, who is among the main contenders for the Chief Minister’s post along with V.D. Satheesan and K.C. Venugopal, defended the time taken by the Congress leadership to arrive at a consensus, noting that only five days had passed since the declaration of the Assembly election results.

“We are not a party that acts on directions from Nagpur. Congress functions in a completely democratic manner,” he told reporters in New Delhi.

The senior leader said the party high command had held discussions with all leaders concerned and would announce a decision at the earliest.

“Everyone has been consulted. The high command will take a decision as early as possible,” he said.

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Mr. Chennithala said decisions in that party were taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, whereas the Congress followed a democratic process.

“Five days is not a big delay. The selection of the Chief Minister is a process. The AICC has a process for everything. We do not have a system where Modi and Amit Shah together decide everything. Decisions are taken after discussions and through democratic means,” he said.

Referring to the BJP criticism on the issue, Mr. Chennithala said there was no need to respond when the BJP itself had taken around 50 days to decide on its Chief Minister in Delhi.

“Modi, who created uncertainty in New Delhi for 50 days without declaring a Chief Minister, is criticising us now. He should not forget that,” he added.

After the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, the BJP came under attack from opposition parties over the alleged delay in announcing its Chief Minister candidate.

On Saturday (May 9, 2026), Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge held discussions in New Delhi with Leader of the Opposition Mr. Satheesan, AICC general secretary Mr. Venugopal, Mr. Chennithala, KPCC chief Sunny Joseph, and AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala Deepa Dasmunshi regarding the selection of the Congress Legislature Party leader, who will be the next Chief Minister of Kerala.

Later, the Kerala leaders and Ms. Dasmunshi jointly appealed to party workers to refrain from protests and flex-board campaigns over the leadership issue.