Kerala swearing-in ceremony LIVE: V D Satheesan is set to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Kerala on Monday at 10 am at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, alongside his full Council of Ministers. The oath-taking ceremony comes two weeks after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) registered a sweeping victory in the Assembly elections, winning 102 out of 140 seats. The new 21-member Cabinet includes 14 first-time ministers.
Leaders secured portfolios in the new Cabinet: Even before taking charge, Satheesan allocated some of the portfolios within the government. While he will personally handle the Finance department amid the state’s economic challenges, the influential Home and Vigilance portfolios have gone to senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala. The Cabinet formation also reflects the influence of K C Venugopal, with several ministers believed to be aligned with the AICC general secretary, who was among the contenders for the chief minister’s post.
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How was the Cabinet list finalised? Ahead of the ceremony, Satheesan held a meeting with senior state Congress leaders at the KPCC office to finalise the Cabinet lineup. Sunny Joseph and Adoor Prakash were among those present during the discussions. The Congress leadership has chosen four first-time MLAs for ministerial berths, while several senior legislators were left out, showing how internal group equations and loyalty played an important role in shaping the new government.
