UDF says full Cabinet to take oath on May 18 ministerial list to be finalised shortly

Thiruvananthapuram, May 15 (PTI) The entire Cabinet of the new Kerala government is expected to be sworn in on Monday, with the list of ministers likely to be finalised soon, UDF convenor Adoor Prakash said on Friday.
    Leaders of UDF allies—the Congress, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress (KEM), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), and other parties—held a meeting at Cantonment House in Thiruvananthapuram this evening.
    It was the first formal meeting of the UDF after it secured a thumping victory in the Assembly elections, the results of which were announced on May 4.
    Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala did not attend the meeting.
    “It was only a formal UDF meeting. We will meet again on Saturday and make decisions. Preparations for the swearing-in ceremony on Monday are underway. Along with the CM-designate, we are looking to provide an opportunity for other UDF leaders to take the oath,” Prakash said.
    “Our intention is that the full Cabinet should take the oath on Monday itself. We will disclose details of the full Cabinet on Saturday,” he said.
    Prakash said discussions with various UDF leaders would continue, and decisions on ministerial berths would be taken soon.
    Communist Marxist Party (CMP) leader C P John also said the full Cabinet was likely to be sworn in on Monday, and further discussions would be held on Saturday.
    “It was the first formal meeting after the election victory. During the meeting, the KPCC president conveyed the party’s decision, and all endorsed it. It was largely a formality,” he said.
    He added that discussions on portfolio allocation were still ongoing.
    When asked whether he would be a minister, John said, “It can happen.”
    IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty said CM-designate V D Satheesan had left for Ernakulam, and other UDF leaders were also on their way.
    “There will be no decision today. The discussions will continue on Saturday. This was only a formal meeting,” he said.
    Kunhalikutty said details of the discussions would be made public on Saturday at the direction of the CM-designate.
    The UDF won 102 out of 140 seats in the Assembly elections.
    The swearing-in ceremony of CM-designate V D Satheesan and other ministers will be held at 10 am on Monday.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)