Kerala Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan on Sunday announced the names of ministers who will take oath along with him during the new government’s swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Monday. The new cabinet will include several senior Congress leaders, including Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunny Joseph.
Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan to be Speaker
Along with the cabinet announcement, the United Democratic Front (UDF) also finalised key Assembly posts. Senior legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan has been chosen as the Speaker of the Kerala Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will serve as the Deputy Speaker.
Speaking after the announcement, Satheesan said the cabinet list was prepared after discussions with alliance leaders and keeping social and regional representation in mind. He said several deserving leaders could not be included despite the Congress securing 63 seats in what he described as one of the party’s biggest victories in Kerala.
Portfolio discussions nearly complete
Satheesan also said talks over portfolio allocation among coalition partners are almost complete, with only minor changes left before the final approval. The official list of ministers will now be submitted to the Governor before being notified through a government gazette after formal clearance.
Kerala Assembly Election Results 2026
The United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a decisive mandate in the recent Kerala Assembly elections, winning 102 seats. The Congress emerged as the single largest party with 63 seats, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF), which had won 99 seats in 2021, was reduced to 35 seats.
Congress leader and the Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan, was choosed as the Chief Minister of Kerala. The announcement was made ten days after the results of the Kerala Assembly elections were declared.
The party grappled with its chief ministerial pick and had held several rounds of discussions with local leaders and former party chiefs in the state. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had previously met several leaders from Kerala and around eight former state unit chiefs to ascertain the ground situation.
The three main contenders for the post of chief minister were Satheesan, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, and Ramesh Chennithala.
Also Read: Who is VD Satheesan, the Paravur MLA set to become Kerala’s new Chief Minister?
