Kerala CM swearing-in ceremony LIVE Updates: VD Satheesan, 20 Cabinet ministers to take oath today

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 20-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.