VD Satheesan Sworn In as Kerala CM, Full Cabinet Takes Oath

VD Satheesan took oath as Kerala Chief Minister in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, leading a full cabinet sworn in together for the first time in nearly six decades. Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi attended the ceremony alongside leaders from several opposition-ruled states.

Historic Cabinet Swearing-In

Congress leader VD Satheesan was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Kerala on Monday morning at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, marking the return of the Congress-led UDF to power after a decade.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Satheesan and 20 ministers in the new cabinet. Satheesan took the oath in Malayalam and later greeted leaders seated on the stage, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

According to Satheesan, this is the first time in nearly 60 years that an entire cabinet in Kerala has been sworn in together. The last such instance was in 1962 under former Chief Minister R. Sankar.

Senior Leaders Attend

The ceremony drew several senior Congress leaders and chief ministers from party-ruled states. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu were among those present.

Outgoing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar also attended the swearing-in ceremony.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was absent due to a foreign visit to Boston in the United States, though he had met Satheesan and other senior Kerala Congress leaders earlier this month.

Ministers Take Oath

Several senior leaders and allies took oath as cabinet ministers during the event. Among them were Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph, K. Muraleedharan, Mons Joseph, Shibu Baby John, Anoop Jacob, P.C. Vishnunadh, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and A.P. Anil Kumar.

IUML MLA N. Samsudheen, Roji M. John and Bindhu Krishna also joined the ministry.

Speaking shortly after the ceremony, minister-designate P.C. Vishnunadh described the moment as “a proud responsibility” and said portfolio allocation would be announced later. Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan acknowledged that the government faced a “difficult role” but said the new administration would try to meet public expectations.

CM Choice Followed Internal Debate

The formation of the new government follows weeks of internal discussions within the Congress over the chief ministerial candidate after the UDF’s election victory earlier this month.

Along with Satheesan, the names of KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala were considered during deliberations. Sources familiar with the matter said sections of the party leadership initially backed Venugopal, while several Congress workers and alliance partners openly supported Satheesan.

Party leaders eventually settled on Satheesan as a consensus choice ahead of the swearing-in.

BJP Targets New Government

The BJP used the occasion to sharpen its political attack on the incoming government. BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain claimed the Congress government in Kerala would function under the influence of the Indian Union Muslim League and said the BJP would “keep a strong watch” on the administration.

Congress leaders, meanwhile, projected the oath ceremony as a sign of opposition unity ahead of future national political battles.

Congress MP Shafi Parambil said the new government would work to fulfil the promises made during the election campaign. Party leaders also indicated that key policy decisions could be taken during the cabinet’s first formal meeting later in the day.

The VD Satheesan government now faces the immediate challenge of balancing coalition expectations while delivering on welfare, employment and development commitments made during the Kerala assembly election campaign.