V D Satheesan Sworn In as Kerala CM, Leads UDF Back to Power After 10 Years

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) returned to power in Kerala after a decade as V D Satheesan took oath as Chief Minister at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on May 18. A 21-member Council of Ministers was sworn in alongside him, marking the first time in nearly sixty years that the entire Kerala Cabinet took oath together with the Chief Minister. The ceremony drew senior Congress leaders, alliance partners, national political figures and thousands of UDF supporters.

The new Cabinet reflects a mix of experienced leaders and fresh faces from UDF constituents, with the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League securing major representation. Senior leaders including Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan, A P Anil Kumar and Sunny Joseph were inducted into the ministry. IUML veteran P K Kunhalikutty, RSP leader Shibu Baby John, Mons Joseph and Anoop Jacob also secured Cabinet positions.

Out of the 21 ministers, 14 are first-time ministers, including Satheesan himself despite being an MLA since 2001. The Cabinet includes two women ministers and two representatives from the Scheduled Caste community. New faces in the ministry include C P John, N Shamsuddin, K M Shaji, P K Basheer, V E Abdul Gafoor, P C Vishnunadh, Roji M John, Bindu Krishna, T Siddique, K A Thulasi and O J Janeesh. The UDF’s victory marks a major political shift after two consecutive terms of the LDF government led by Pinarayi Vijayan.