Congress senior leader V.D. Satheeshan is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala on Sunday, with the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for 10:00 am at the Central Stadium ground in Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala Governor Arlekar will administer the oath.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) secured power after winning 102 of the 140 seats in the Assembly election held on April 9. The Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the CPI(M), suffered defeat and lost the government.
The choice of Chief Minister saw delays amid competition among senior Congress leaders, including K.C. Venugopal, V.D. Satheeshan and Ramesh Chennithala. After consultations with UDF MLAs and alliance partners, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi finalised Satheeshan’s name.
Satheeshan met the Governor on Saturday and submitted the full list of ministers. A 20-member cabinet is expected, comprising 12 from the Congress and eight from alliance parties, including senior leaders Ramesh Chennithala, K. Muraleedharan and Sunny Joseph.
Speaking to reporters, Satheeshan said the ministry was finalised after discussions among alliance leaders, keeping social and regional balance in mind. The UDF has also decided to appoint senior legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as Speaker and Shanimol Usman as Deputy Speaker.
