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V D Satheesan sworn in as Kerala Chief Minister
Public Lokpal
May 18, 2026
V D Satheesan sworn in as Kerala Chief Minister
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: V D Satheesan on Monday took oath as Kerala's Chief Minister, with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administering the oath of office to the Congress Legislative Party leader here.
Satheesan took the oath in the name of God.
The 20-member Cabinet that took oath along with Satheesan includes senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan and KPCC chief Sunny Joseph, along with Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leaders PK Kunhalikutty, PK Basheer, N Samsudheen, KM Shaji and VE Abdul Gafoor.
Other ministers in the Cabinet are 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.
Satheesan also announced that senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan will serve as Speaker of the Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will be the Deputy Speaker. MLA Apu John Joseph has been appointed as the Government Chief Whip.
The swearing-in ceremony comes after the UDF secured a decisive mandate in the 2026 Keralam Assembly elections, ending the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) 10-year rule in the state.
Satheesan, on Sunday, formally announced the 20-member Cabinet and later met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Lok Bhavan to submit the list of ministers who will take oath along with him.
Addressing a press conference after meeting the Governor, Satheesan said the entire Cabinet would be sworn in together with the Chief Minister after nearly six decades.“Along with the Chief Minister, the full Cabinet will take the oath together after nearly six decades. Among the 63 Congress MLAs, there are many deserving leaders. Several deserving leaders have also been left out and remain outside the Cabinet.
There is sadness and difficulty in that. Various limitations, criteria and social realities led to such decisions,” Satheesan said.
He said the government formation process was completed in record time after extensive consultations within the Congress party and coalition partners.
“We have 63 MLAs, some are more eligible than others, but unfortunately, we have to consider the social and regional balance and the representation of women and Dalit representation. We are not able to include all the eligible persons in the Cabinet. We have included two members from the SC, and women’s representation has been ensured,” he said.
Ahead of the oath-taking ceremony, several leaders designated as ministers expressed gratitude to the party leadership and assured that the new government would work to fulfil the promises made to the people.
Congress MLA Roji M John thanked the party leadership for entrusting him with the responsibility and said the government would strive to meet public expectations.
The UDF registered a landslide victory in the 2026 Assembly elections, winning 102 seats in the 140-member House. The Congress emerged as the single-largest party with 63 seats, while the IUML won 22 seats. The LDF was reduced to 35 seats, while the BJP won three .
