Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala on Monday at 10 a.m. at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, along with his full Council of Ministers, marking the return of the United Democratic Front (UDF) to power after a decade.
The 20-member Cabinet taking oath alongside Satheesan includes senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan and KPCC chief Sunny Joseph, along with Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leaders PK Kunhalikutty, PK Basheer, N Samsudheen, KM Shaji and VE Abdul Gafoor.
Other ministers in the Cabinet include 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 will serve as Speaker of the Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will be the Deputy Speaker. MLA Apu John Joseph has been appointed Government Chief Whip.
The swearing-in ceremony follows the UDF’s decisive victory in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, ending the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) 10-year rule in the state.
Satheesan on Sunday formally announced the 20-member Cabinet and later met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Lok Bhavan to submit the list of ministers who will take oath along with him.
Addressing a press conference after meeting the Governor, Satheesan said the entire Cabinet would be 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,” he said.
He added that the government formation process was completed in record time after extensive consultations within the Congress party and alliance partners.
“We discussed with coalition partners and interacted with Congress leaders within the party. Within 24 hours, we completed the entire process. This is the fastest in the history of Kerala,” Satheesan said.
The Chief Minister-designate said social and regional balance, along with representation for women and Scheduled Castes, were key considerations in Cabinet formation.
“We have 63 MLAs, and many are eligible, but we also had to consider social and regional balance, women’s representation and Dalit representation. We have included two members from the Scheduled Castes, and women’s representation has been ensured,” he said.
Satheesan further said that portfolio allocation had almost been finalised, with only minor changes remaining. He added that the official Gazette notification would be issued after the swearing-in ceremony.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the leadership had completed all internal consultations regarding Cabinet formation and assured that the new government would provide good governance.
“The spectacular victory given by the people of Kerala should be respected. We will give good governance to the people of Kerala,” Chennithala said.
The IUML confirmed that it would have five ministers in the new Cabinet and announced that Kuttiadi MLA Parakkal Abdulla would be inducted after two-and-a-half years as part of an internal arrangement.
Ahead of the ceremony, leaders designated as ministers thanked the party leadership and assured that the new government would work to fulfil promises made to the people.
Congress MLA Roji M John said the government would strive to meet public expectations, while K Muraleedharan said the administration would begin implementing electoral promises in a phased manner, including free travel for women.
The UDF registered a landslide victory in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, winning 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly. The Congress emerged as the single-largest party with 63 seats, while the IUML secured 22 seats. The LDF was reduced to 35 seats, while the BJP won three constituencies.
-ANI
