Kerala politics has entered a tense new phase after the Enforcement Directorate launched a sweeping search operation across multiple locations linked to the ongoing Exalogic-CMRL investigation. The early-morning ED action has once again pushed the alleged payments case into the center of Kerala’s political discourse, with attention turning toward entities linked to former CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s family. The searches come shortly after legal developments gave fresh momentum to the agency’s probe into alleged financial transactions involving CMRL and Exalogic. Investigators are examining alleged retainer payments and possible financial irregularities that had earlier drawn scrutiny from tax authorities, with the case now widening significantly. WATCH

VD Satheesan took oath as the new Chief Minister of Kerala as the Congress-led UDF returned to power after a decade, ending the CPI(M)-led Left government in the state. The grand swearing-in ceremony in Thiruvananthapuram witnessed the presence of top Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjun Kharge. Thousands of UDF workers gathered to celebrate the alliance’s massive comeback.