V D Satheesan Sworn in as Kerala Chief Minister; 20-Member UDF Cabinet Takes Oath.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Senior Congress leader V D Satheesan was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Kerala on Monday at a grand ceremony held in Thiruvananthapuram, marking the return of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) to power in the state after a decisive Assembly election victory.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Satheesan, who took the oath in the name of God before a massive gathering of party workers, leaders, and dignitaries.
Along with Satheesan, members of the newly formed 20-member Cabinet also took oath at the function attended by senior national and state political leaders. The swearing-in ceremony witnessed loud cheers from thousands of UDF supporters who had gathered from different parts of Kerala to celebrate the alliance’s return to power.
New Leadership Era in Kerala
The new Chief Minister, elected continuously from Paravur since 2001, assumed his first-ever executive role in government despite being one of the prominent faces of the Congress in Kerala politics for over two decades. His elevation is being viewed as the beginning of a generational leadership shift within the state Congress unit.
The Cabinet includes a mix of experienced leaders and several first-time ministers, with 14 new faces finding place in the ministry.
Senior Congress leaders inducted into the Cabinet include Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan, A P Anil Kumar, and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Sunny Joseph.
From alliance partners, senior Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader P K Kunhalikutty, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader Shibu Baby John, Kerala Congress leader Mons Joseph, Kerala Congress (Jacob) leader Anoop Jacob, and CMP leader C P John also joined the ministry.
Several First-Time Ministers
Among the prominent first-time ministers are IUML leaders N Shamsuddin, K M Shaji, P K Basheer and V E Abdul Gafoor.
Congress legislators P C Vishnunadh, Roji M John, Bindu Krishna, T Siddique, K A Thulasi and O J Janeesh were also sworn in as ministers for the first time.
The ministry includes two women ministers and two members belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, reflecting efforts toward social representation in the Cabinet.
National Leaders Attend Ceremony
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with Chief Ministers from Congress-ruled states.
Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, leaders of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), and representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were also present at the event.
UDF’s Massive Electoral Victory
The Assembly elections for Kerala’s 140-member House were held on April 9, and the results were declared on May 4. The Congress-led UDF secured a landslide victory by winning 102 seats, comfortably crossing the majority mark.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) was reduced to 35 seats, while the BJP managed to win three seats.
The emphatic mandate has positioned Satheesan and the UDF government with a strong majority as they prepare to begin a new administrative term in Kerala.
