Senior Congress leader V. D. Satheesan officially assumed office as the new Chief Minister of Kerala on Monday during a high-profile swearing-in ceremony held at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
The event marked the formal beginning of the new Congress-led administration in the state, with Satheesan and his full Council of Ministers taking the oath of office before a gathering of senior political leaders, party workers and supporters.
The newly formed 20-member Cabinet includes several experienced Congress leaders along with representatives from alliance partners. Senior Congress figures Ramesh Chennithala, K. Muraleedharan and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunny Joseph were among those inducted into the ministry.
Leaders from the Indian Union Muslim League also secured significant representation in the Cabinet. Prominent IUML leaders including P. K. Kunhalikutty, P. K. Basheer, N. Samsudheen, K. M. Shaji and V. E. Abdul Gafoor took oath as ministers.
Other leaders inducted into the government include Mons Joseph, Shibu Baby John, Anoop Jacob, C. P. John, A. P. Anil Kumar, T. Siddique, P. C. Vishnunath, Roji M. John, Bindu Krishna, M. Liju, K. A. Thulasi and O. J. Janeesh.
Several national and regional leaders attended the ceremony, including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Revanth Reddy, Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar.
However, Vijay, who currently serves as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, did not attend the event. Reports suggested that official commitments and security-related scheduling issues may have prevented his participation.
VD Satheesan, a six-time MLA from Paravur in Ernakulam district, previously served as Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly. Born near Kochi in 1964, he started his career in law and practised at the Kerala High Court before entering active politics full-time. Known for his strong organisational role within the Congress, Satheesan is regarded as one of the party’s key faces in Kerala politics.
