Kerala CM swearing-in ceremony: Ramesh Chennithala, others sworn in as ministers in Satheesan-led cabinet

Senior Cong leaders Sunny Joseph, K Muraleedharan sworn in as ministers in Satheesan-led cabinet.

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala takes oath as cabinet minister in the Keralam government led by Chief Minister VD Satheesan

VD Satheesan greets party president Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders present on the stage after taking oath as Chief Minister of Kerala.

 VD Satheesan and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi share a hug after Satheesan took oath as Chief Minister of Kerala.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar congratulates VD Satheesan after he took oath as Chief Minister of Kerala.

Senior Congress leader VD Satheesan took oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Kerala, ending a decade-long Left rule in the southern state. 

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar arrives at the Central Stadium for the swearing-in ceremony of the Kerala government.

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar were seen conversing on stage ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected UDF-led government.

Former CM Pinarayi Vijayan reaches the venue for the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected UDF-led government.  

BJP leader Rajeev Chandrashekar and CPI leader Binoy Viswam arrive on stage for the Kerala swearing-in ceremony. 

CM-designate VD Satheesan waves to his supporters and party workers as he reaches the venue of his newly elected cabinet's swearing-in ceremony.

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah reach Thiruvananthapuram ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected state government.

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar arrived at the airport to take part in the oath-taking ceremony of Kerala CM and state ministers.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi arrived in Thiruvananthapuram ahead of the CM swearing-in ceremony. 

Visuals from the Central Stadium, where the swearing-in ceremony of the Keralam government led by Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan will take place today. VD Satheesan will take the oath today along with 20 cabinet ministers.

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Monday said he would assume charge of the Home portfolio in the incoming VD Satheesan-led government and asserted that the new administration would fulfil the five guarantees announced by Rahul Gandhi during the Kerala Assembly election campaign. "Today is an auspicious day for the people of Kerala because after 10 years, the UDF is coming to power... It is our bounden duty to give good governance to the people of Kerala. The new government is going to be sworn in today... I am going to take up the Home portfolio," Chennithala told the reporters.

Here is the full list of Kerala ministers:

• VD Satheesan
• Ramesh Chennithala
• PK Kunhalikutty
• Sunny Joseph
• K Muraleedharan
• Mons Joseph
• Shibu Baby John
• Anoop Jacob
• CP John
• AP Anil Kumar
• N Samsudheen
• PC Vishnunath
• Roji M John
• Bindu Krishna
• M Liju
• KM Shaji
• PK Basheer
• VE Abdul Gafoor
• T Siddique
• KA Thulasi
• OJ Janeesh

Kerala Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan on Sunday described himself as a "Nehruvian socialist" and said that reducing public inconvenience was a key reason behind his decision to maintain a smaller security convoy.

Responding to a question on avoiding a large CM's convoy, Satheesan said he had asked the police to limit the escort, though certain security protocols could not be avoided. "I want only a three-vehicle escort. Earlier, there used to be convoys of around 30 vehicles, including an ambulance. But I am not blaming any CM. It is part of the Z-plus security category provided to the chief minister, which is also monitored by the union government," he said.

He said his perspective was shaped by the experience of the common man. "If I think from the perspective of someone witnessing a convoy of 30 to 40 vehicles on the road, I would feel agitated. If I were made to wait for half an hour or an hour for such a convoy to pass, how would it feel? That is why I do not want a large convoy," he said. (PTI)

For the last decade, VD Satheesan has built his image as an aggressive opposition voice in Kerala politics, mixing sharp attacks on the Left government with a calm and accessible public style. The 61-year-old lawyer-turned-politician from Paravur near Kochi, who rose through the student wing of the Congress party and is seen by supporters as a leader who helped revive the party's energy after its 2021 defeat, is the new Chief Minister of Kerala.

The party high command chose him after considering his performance as leader of opposition in the Kerala assembly, where he focused heavily on corruption allegations, law-and-order issues and the state's financial troubles, often taking the fight directly to Left Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Although he was never a minister before, colleagues describe him as disciplined and media-savvy, while critics within the Congress say his centralised style has sometimes upset senior leaders in the faction-ridden party.

Satheesan is also credited with bringing younger faces into the Congress organisation and trying to project a cleaner and more modern image for the opposition alliance. His strong performance in the 2026 Kerala election, where the Congress-led UDF made major gains, has strengthened his position as one of the leading contenders for the chief minister's post. (PTI)

Congress MLA and minister-designate Bindu Krishna said, "I am very proud and happy that I will get to be minister in this cabinet. I want thank god, the Congress party, and the people of Kollam who elected me. This time three women have been given cabinet rank and in the coming years, more women will be included."

Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony today, Senior bishops of the Jacobite Church met Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan and extended their greetings

Special traffic arrangements have also been made in view of the large number of VIPs and UDF supporters arriving in the city. Traffic and parking regulations are in effect from 7 am to 4 pm in the capital city.

CM-designate VD Satheesan leaves from his residence as he heads to the airport to welcome Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, ahead of his swearing-in ceremony.

The UDF has decided to appoint senior legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as Speaker of the Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will serve as Deputy Speaker. The chief whip will be from Kerala Congress (J) and will be announced by party chairman PJ Joseph.

The IUML, a key ally of the Congress, on Sunday announced its list of ministers for the new Kerala Cabinet headed by V D Satheesan. The names announced were P K Kunhalikutty, N Shamsuddin, K M Shaji, P K Basheer, and V E Abdul Gafoor.

Security has been heightened at the airport, as Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states and several other leaders are expected to arrive in the city today to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Kerala government led by Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan.

Congress will have 11 ministers in the Cabinet: Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan, and AP Anil Kumar, Sunny Joseph, PC Vishnunadh, T Siddique, Bindu Krishna, KA Thulasi, Roji M John, M Liju and OJ Janeesh.

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge said, "VD Satheesan is taking oath today, along with other cabinet ministers. It is an unprecedented victory, we are happy because it was such a huge mandate..."

Congress workers gather at CM-designate VD Satheeshan's house in Thiruvananthapuram. VD Satheesan will take oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala later today at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge left from his residence to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan-led Keralam government.

A large number of supporters from across Kerala arrive at Central Stadium to attend the oath ceremony of CM-designate VD Satheesan.

Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi left for Kerala to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Keralam government today.

VD Satheesan in a post on X said, "I will take oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Kerala. Along with me, 20 ministers will also assume office. The swearing-in ceremony will be held tomorrow at 10 AM at Central Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram. I warmly invite all of you to be part of this historic occasion."

UDF secured a historic and decisive victory in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, bringing an end to the decade-long rule of the Left Democratic Front (LDF). Led by the Congress, which won 63 seats, the coalition achieved a landslide majority by capturing a total of 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly. The IUML won 22 seats, while the LDF won 35 seats and the BJP managed to win three constituencies.

VD Satheesan is a senior Congress leader and six-time Congress MLA. Satheesan served as the Leader of Opposition in Keralam Assembly before the UDF's decisive victory in the 2026 Keralam Assembly elections. The alliance won 102 seats in the 140-member assembly. Satheesan secured 78,658 votes and defeated CPI candidate ET Taison Master by a margin of 20,600 votes. He has represented the Paravur constituency for 25 years, having first won the seat in 2001. As the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly since 2021, Satheesan emerged as a prominent face of the United Democratic Front (UDF) campaign against the ruling Left government. He has been a vocal critic of the state government on various political and governance issues.

Born in 1964 in Nettoor near Kochi, VD Satheesan comes from a Congress background rooted in grassroots politics rather than Delhi power circles. He is a trained lawyer and social worker and entered politics through the Kerala Students Union (KSU) before steadily climbing the Congress ladder.

VD Satheesan won the Paravur Assembly seat for the sixth time in a row in 2026 by defeating Communist Party of India's (CPI) ET Taison Master with a margin of 20,600 votes. He won the Paravur Assembly seat for the first time in 2001 and retained it in 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 and 2026.

VD Satheesan unveiled a 21-member cabinet a day ahead of the swearing-in of the new government, comprising experienced leaders and 14 first-time ministers, including two women and two members of the Scheduled Caste community. As many as 14 members of the cabinet are new faces. The 20-member Cabinet announced by Satheesan includes Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan, KPCC Chief Sunny Joseph, along with IUML leaders PK Kunhalikutty, PK Basheer, N Samsudheen, KM Shaji, VE Abdul Gafoor, 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.

Congress leader VD Satheesan is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala today at 10 am, along with his full Council of Ministers at the Central Stadium in the state capital.