Congress leader V.D. Satheesan took oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Kerala on Monday. Satheesan, along with his 20-member Cabinet, was sworn in at a grand event at Central Stadium in Thiruvanthapuram.
Hundreds of UDF workers, political leaders, and guests have gathered to witness the oath-taking. Police have imposed tight security measures and special traffic diversions in and around the stadium ahead of the ceremony.
Senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, attended the ceremony. Along with the AICC members, CMs of Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh have also been invited.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said that the new administration would fulfil all five guarantees announced by Rahul Gandhi during the Assembly election campaign.
"Today is an auspicious day for the people of Kerala because after 10 years, the UDF is coming to power... It is our bounden duty to give good governance to the people of Kerala. The new government is going to be sworn in today... I am going to take up the Home portfolio," Chennithala told the reporters.
"The duty of the Home Minister is to maintain the law and order situation in the state. We will try to give better administration and better law and order situation in the state of Kerala," he added.
Kharge, while speaking to the reporters, said, "It is an unprecedented victory. We are happy because it was a huge mandate."
Satheesan met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Lok Bhavan on Sunday and submitted the list of ministers to be sworn in along with him.
Along with Chennithala, other ministers include K. Muraleedharan, P.K Kunhalikuty, Sunny Joseph, Mons Joseph, Shibu Baby John, Anoop Jacob, C.P. John, Bindu Krishna, Roji M. John, P.C. Vishnunath, N. Samdudheen, A.P. Anilkumar, M. Liju, K.M. Shaji, P.K. Basheer, Abdul Gafoor, T. Siddique, K.A. Thulasi and O.J. Janeesh.
Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan will be the speaker, while Shanimol Usman will be the deputy speaker.
Though AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal missed out on the chief minister’s post, he has emerged as a key power centre in the formation of the new UDF government, with his camp securing significant representation in the cabinet.
These developments have reportedly triggered discontent within sections of the Congress, particularly among functionaries aligned with Satheesan, after several of their nominees failed to secure cabinet berths and expected portfolio allocations failed to materialise.
Congress veteran K. Muraleedharan is understood to have initially expressed displeasure over being allotted the Power portfolio. Sources said both Satheesan and Muraleedharan favoured the Health Department for him, considering its political significance. While the portfolio eventually went to A.P. Anilkumar—who is regarded as a trusted lieutenant of Venugopal—the decision was reportedly reversed following Muraleedharan's protest, and he has now been allocated Health and Devaswom.