VD Satheesan sworn in as Kerala CM, UDF back in power after a decade

Congress leader VD Satheesan was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Kerala on Monday (May 18), leading the United Democratic Front (UDF) back to power in the state after a decade. The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram in the presence of senior Congress leaders, alliance partners and thousands of supporters. Satheesan took the oath along with his full Council of Ministers, marking the first time in nearly six decades that the entire Cabinet was sworn in simultaneously with the Chief Minister.

The 21-member UDF government includes senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunny Joseph. Leaders from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), including PK Kunhalikutty, PK Basheer, N Samsudheen, KM Shaji and VE Abdul Gafoor, also took oath as ministers. Other ministers inducted into 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 OJ Janeesh.

Speaking earlier, Satheesan had said that several deserving leaders could not be accommodated in the ministry because of political and social considerations. The government formation process was completed within 24 hours after consultations with coalition partners and Congress leadership. Satheesan had formally handed over the list of ministers to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Lok Bhavan on Sunday evening. Satheesan, who served as the Leader of the Opposition for the past five years, is widely credited within the Congress for rebuilding the party’s grassroots presence in Kerala ahead of the Assembly elections.

The Congress emerged as the single-largest party in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections with 63 seats, while the UDF secured 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, ending the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front’s 10-year rule in the state.