Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], May 18 (ANI): Ending a ten-year hiatus, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) officially assumed power in Keralam on Monday. In a grand, packed ceremony held at the Central Stadium in the state capital, 61-year-old VD Satheesan took the oath of office and secrecy as the state’s 13th Chief Minister.
Wasting no time after the grand ceremony, Chief Minister Satheesan chaired his first Cabinet meeting, rolling out an immediate policy implementation to fulfill core election promises.
He announced that women will have free journey in Kerala State Roadways Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses from June 15, the details of which will be announced in the coming days.
This morning, at a grand ceremony at the Central Stadium in the State capital, after a rendition of the Vande Mataram and the Jana Mana Gana, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to 61-year-old Satheesan and his entire cabinet of ministers in a stadium that was packed, with spectators lining the road to the stadium.
Satheesan, born in Nettoor in Ernakulam district to Damodara Menon, took the oath in the name of God. In the 2026 Assembly election, Satheesan emerged victorious for the sixth consecutive time from the Paravur Assembly constituency.
Along with Satheesan, the Keralam Governor also swore in 20 ministers, which included 14 first-time ministers, two women and two representatives from the Scheduled Caste community. Congress had 11 ministers, its main ally, the Indian Union Muslim League, which won 22 Assembly seats, had 5 ministers, the Kerala Congress (Joseph), the Kerala Congress (Jacob), the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the Communist Marxist Party had one minister each in the new cabinet.
The UDF has also decided to appoint senior legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as Speaker of the Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will serve as Deputy Speaker, Satheesan said in a press conference held yesterday.
The Assembly elections to the 140-member House were held on April 9, with results declared on May 4. The Congress-led UDF won 102 seats, the LDF secured 35, and the BJP won 3.
Satheesan pledged in the name of God to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India, uphold its sovereignty, faithfully discharge his duties, and ensure justice for all citizens
The newly-sworn-in chief minister then greeted party president Mallikarjun Kharge and shared a hug with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
He also greeted other leaders who were present on the stage, including former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is set to lead the Opposition in the House, a perfect reversal of roles with Satheesan, who had been Leader of Opposition for five years in the previous Niyamasabha, the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to greet Satheesan. “Congratulations to Shri VD Satheesan Ji on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Keralam. My best wishes for his tenure. The Central Government assures all possible support for the newly formed Keralam Government in fulfilling the aspirations of the people,” the PM said in a message on X.
Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader Shibu Baby John, who arrived at the venue in a black suit, was the sole exception to the “dress code” of white shirt and mundu that a majority of the ministers had chosen to wear. Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi was seen in a Kerala saree with gold kasavu, and AICC general secretary Deepa Dasmushi also chose to wear a traditional cotton saree.
UDF supporters and workers were seen celebrating by bursting crackers and distributing sweets.
Meanwhile, at the oath ceremony, after Satheesan, Governor Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to PK Kunahillikutty, the Malappuram MLA, who at 74 years is the oldest minister in Satheesan’s cabinet. The senior-most leader of the IUML, Kunhalikutty, a nine-time MLA, had begun his political journey as a 27-year-old.
He has held the Industries portfolio in almost every UDF government over the last three decades. He served as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the previous Keralam assembly (2021-2026) and has also been a Member of Parliament.
The eight-time MLA from different constituencies in Malappuram district, Kunhalikutty, handled Industries and Social Welfare from 1991 to 1996, was Minister for Industries and Municipalities from 1995 to 1996, and Minister for Industries, IT, and Social Welfare from 2001 to 2004 in two AK Antony-led governments in the State. He was also Minister for Industries, IT, and Social Welfare from 2004 to 2005, and Minister for IT and Industries from 2011 to 2016.
Congress veteran Ramesh Chennithala (69), who won from the Haripad Assembly seat, was the next to be sworn into the government. Chennithala, who was seen as one of the contenders for the Chief Minister’s post, had previously served as Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition in the first Pinarayi Vijayan government (2016-21) and Minister for Home and Vigilance from 2014-2016. He has the unique distinction of becoming the youngest minister in Kerala, at the age of 28, in K Karunakaran’s cabinet in 1986.
He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kottayam for three consecutive terms -1989, 1991, 1996 and from Mavelikkara in 1999. He returned to state politics to serve as President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) for nine years and held a position on the Congress Working Committee (CWC).
In 1982 and 1987, he earned his place in the Keralam Legislative Assembly (KLA), then, as a Member of Parliament in 1989, 1992, 1996, and 1999, and later as an MLA in 2011, 2016, and 2021. His early career was shaped in the Kerala Students Union (KSU) and NSUI, eventually serving as an AICC member
Ahead of the ceremony today, Chennithala, while addressing reporters here, had said, “I was a Minister in the K Karunakaran government at the age of 28. Later, I was the Home Minister in the Oommen Chandy Cabinet. I have represented Haripad for the past 30 years, and each Assembly election, my winning margin has increased significantly. Given my political and administrative experience, Satheesan asked me to take any portfolio I liked”, he said.
The senior Congress leader said the UDF government would implement the five guarantees announced by Rahul Gandhi during the Assembly election campaign. These include free bus travel for women, Rs 1000 monthly assistance for college-going girls, welfare pensions of Rs 3000, Rs 25 lakh Oommen Chandy Health Insurance coverage for every family, and interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh for small businesses.
Meanwhile, Sunny Joseph, who has been representing the Peravoor constituency in Kannur since 2011, was among those sworn in as a minister today. A seasoned organisational leader, Joseph was appointed as the President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) in 2025, replacing senior Congress leader K Sudhakaran, who also hails from Kannur. He previously served as the Kannur DCC President and the UDF District Chairman. In the recent Assembly election, the four-time MLA from Peravoor had defeated senior CPI(M) leader KK Shailaja.
After Joseph, veteran politician K Muralidheeran, a four-time Lok Sabha MP who won the Vatiyoorkavu Assembly seat in these elections, was administered the oath of office. The former three-time Lok Sabha MP from Kozhikode and once from Vatakara, the son of former chief minister K Karunakaran, had held the power portfolio in the Kerala government under AK Antony in 2004. He served as the KPCC President and a State Minister in the Antony cabinet. He has represented various constituencies as both an MLA and an MP, most notably serving as the MP for Vatakara before returning to state politics.
Mons Joseph, the leader from Kerala Congress (Joseph), who had served as the Minister for Public Works (2007-2009) in the previous UDF cabinet, was sworn in as minister for the second time today. He has been a dominant political figure in the Kottayam region, representing the Kaduthuruthy constituency for multiple terms and serving as a key strategist for his party.
Shibu Baby John, the B Tech mechanical engineering son of RSP leader Baby John, who won from Chavara for the third time, was the next to be administered the oath of office. He previously served as the Minister for Labour and Rehabilitation (2011-2016) and is recognised for his pragmatic approach to industrial relations and trade union negotiations.
Anoop Jacob, who won with a record margin in this Assembly election from Ernakulam district’s Priravom constituency, is the son of Kerala Congress (Jacob) party founder TM Jacob. He has been representing the constituency consecutively since 2012, after it was left vacant following the death of his father. He had also held the Food and Civil Supplies department from 2012 to 2016 in the Oommen Chandy Cabinet.
Next to be sworn in was CP John, representing the CMP party. John was a former State Planning Board member and represents the Thiruvananthapuram Central constituency.
AP Anil Kumar, who is one of the three working presidents of KPCC and known as the right-hand man of Lok Sabha MP KC Venugopal, had won the Wandoor Assembly constituency for the sixth time in the 2026 elections. He had won previously in 2001, 2004, 2006, 2011 and 2016. He was a minister with portfolios of social, cultural, and youth affairs in the Oommen Chandy Ministry in 2004. An influential Dalit face within the Congress, Anil Kumar, previously served as the Minister for Tourism and Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backwards Classes in the Oommen Chandy government (2011 to 2016).
N Shamshadeeun is the second out of the 5 IUML leaders inducted into Satheesan’s cabinet today. A four- time MLA representing Palakkad district’s Mannarkkad constituency, Shamshadeeun is becoming a minister for the first time. He has been a member of several house committees and has consistently won his seat since 2011, serving as a reliable parliamentary voice for the Muslim League.
Next to take the oath today was PC Vishnunadh (48), a prominent youth leader. Vishnunadh was a former State President of the Youth Congress and a Secretary of the AICC. He previously represented the Chengannur assembly constituency in 2006 and was re-elected in 2011. In 2016, he lost the seat but regained it in 2021. In the 2026 polls, he contested and won the Kundara assembly seat. He is married to noted Kannada author and poet Ha Ma. He is one of the three working presidents of the Kerala state unit. In 2017, he was appointed the Secretary of the Indian National Congress with charge of Karnataka state.
Roji M John (42) from Angamally is among the youth faces in Satheesan’s cabinet. A three-time MLA from Angamally, who has been representing the constituency since 2016, John has been an active member of student politics. An alumnus of JNU, he started his political career through KSU and was the National President of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).
Bindu Krishna (48), the Congress leader from Kollam, is among the two women in the UDF government. She served as the first State President of the Mahila Congress and the President of the Kollam District Congress Committee (DCC). She is a first-time MLA from the Kollam, the Assembly seat which was previously held by actor-politician Mukesh for the Left Democratic Front. She had lost to the actor-politician in the 2021 Assembly elections.
The current MLA from Kayamkulam constituency, M Liju, a former President of the Alappuzha DCC and a leader of the Youth Congress and considered a rising star in the Congress party, was sworn in as minister.
Next to be sworn in was OJ Janeesh, who at 37-years-old is the youngest minister in Satheesan’s cabinet. He won the 2026 Assembly elections from Kodungallur. The Congress leader was appointed State President of the Kerala Pradesh Youth Congress after the party suspended former Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil.
KM Shaji, a 54-year-old IUML leader who has gained fame for his fiery oratory and who won from the Vengara seat in Malappuram constituency, was also inducted into the UDF government. A former State President of the Muslim Youth League, he previously represented the Azhikode constituency.
Another first-time minister from the Muslim League is PK Basheer, who has been representing the Eranad constituency since 2011. He is the son of the late IUML leader P Seethi Haji.
IUML General Secretary, who won from the Kalamaserry in Ernakulam, VE Abdul Gafoor and who is the son of former UDF minister VK Ebrahim Kunju, has also been sworn in as minister. Incidentally, he was selected for the state under-16 cricket team.
T Siddique (51), the Congress MLA from Kalpetta who had vacated his Wayanad Lok Sabha candidacy to make way for Rahul Gandhi ahead of the 2019 general elections, won the seat in the subsequent elections.
A confidante of former chief minister Oommen Chandy, Siddique had a role in the 2026 Assembly polls. Siddique’s campaign focused on the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide, which caused significant loss of life in the Youth Congress.
KA Thulasi, an academic known as ‘Thulasi teacher’ and the MLA from Kongad in Palakkad, a traditional CPM seat, became a first-time minister in Satheesan’s cabinet. She is the KPCC General Secretary and former Head of the History Department at Nenmara NSS College, and the wife of Palakkad Lok Sabha MP, VK Sreekandan.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka, and Bhupesh Baghel were among those present at the oath-taking of the new government in Keralam.
Satheesan and Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal had received Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition, at Thiruvananthapuram airport ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the UDF Government.
Following the swearing-in ceremony, the UDF ministers were hosted for tea by the Governor at the Lok Bhavan. This was followed by the first cabinet meeting of the VD Satheesan-led UDF government. (ANI)
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