Congress leader V D Satheesan on Monday took oath as the Chief Minister of Keralam at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, along with a 20-member Council of Ministers as the United Democratic Front (UDF) returned to power after a decade.
The swearing-in ceremony marked the end of the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) 10-year rule in the state following the UDF’s victory in the 2026 Keralam Assembly elections.
Senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan and KPCC chief Sunny Joseph were among those inducted into the Cabinet. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key UDF ally, secured five berths for PK Kunhalikutty, PK Basheer, N Samsudheen, KM Shaji and VE Abdul Gafoor.
Other ministers sworn in were Mons Joseph, Shibu Baby John, Anoop Jacob, CP John, AP Anil Kumar, T Siddique, PC Vishnunath, Roji M John, Bindu Krishna, M Liju, KA Thulasi and O J Janeesh.
Satheesan also announced that senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan would serve as Speaker of the Assembly, while Shanimol Usman was named Deputy Speaker. MLA Apu John Joseph was appointed Government Chief Whip.
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Keralam Cabinet Formation Completed In Record Time
A day before the ceremony, Satheesan had met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Lok Bhavan and submitted the list of ministers to be sworn in alongside him.
Addressing reporters after meeting the Governor, Satheesan said the entire Cabinet had been sworn in together with the Chief Minister after nearly six decades.
“Along with the Chief Minister, the full Cabinet will take the oath together after nearly six decades. Among the 63 Congress MLAs, there are many deserving leaders. Several deserving leaders have also been left out and remain outside the Cabinet. There is sadness and difficulty in that. Various limitations, criteria and social realities led to such decisions,” Satheesan said.
He said the government formation process was completed swiftly after extensive consultations within the Congress and allied parties.
“We have discussed with the coalition partners, we have interacted with all Congress leaders within the party, and within 24 hours, we have completed the entire process. This is the fastest in the history of Kerala,” he added.
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Social Balance Considered In Cabinet Selection
Satheesan said social and regional representation, along with inclusion of women and Scheduled Castes, played a crucial role in Cabinet formation.
“We have 63 MLAs, some are more eligible than others, but unfortunately, we have to consider the social and regional balance and the representation of women and Dalit representation. We are not able to include all the eligible persons in the Cabinet. We have included two members from the SC, and women’s representation has been ensured,” he said.
The Chief Minister also indicated that portfolio allocation had been nearly finalised.
“Usually, the list is submitted to the Governor after the swearing-in ceremony, and that will be done tomorrow (today). Following that, the government’s Gazette notification will be issued,” he said.
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Kharge Hails UDF’s ‘Unprecedented’ Victory
Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described the UDF’s victory as “unprecedented” ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru before leaving for Thiruvananthapuram, Kharge said, “VD Satheesan is taking oath today, along with other cabinet ministers. It is an unprecedented victory. We are happy because it was such a huge mandate.”
The UDF secured 102 seats in the 140-member Keralam Assembly in the 2026 elections. The Congress emerged as the single-largest party with 63 seats, while the IUML won 22 seats. The LDF was reduced to 35 seats and the BJP won three constituencies.
