VD Satheesan officially took oath as the new Chief Minister of Kerala on Monday, leading the return of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) to power after a decade.
The grand swearing-in ceremony took place at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram and was attended by senior Congress leaders, opposition chief ministers, alliance partners and thousands of supporters.
Soon after Satheesan’s oath, all 20 cabinet ministers were sworn in together, marking the first time in nearly six decades that Kerala’s entire cabinet took oath on the same day.
The UDF secured a landslide victory in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections by winning 102 out of 140 seats, ending the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front’s ten-year rule.
Senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan and Sunny Joseph were among the prominent ministers inducted into the cabinet. Alliance partner Indian Union Muslim League also secured five ministerial berths in the new government.
According to sources, Satheesan is expected to retain key portfolios including Finance and Ports, while Chennithala may handle the crucial Home and Vigilance departments. Sunny Joseph is likely to receive the Revenue portfolio.
The full list of ministers sworn into the new Kerala cabinet includes VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, PK Kunhalikutty, Sunny Joseph, K Muraleedharan, Mons Joseph, Shibu Baby John, Anoop Jacob, CP John, AP Anil Kumar, N Samsudheen, PC Vishnunath, Roji M John, Bindu Krishna, M Liju, KM Shaji, PK Basheer, VE Abdul Gafoor, T Siddique, KA Thulasi and OJ Janeesh.
Several top Congress leaders attended the event, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjun Kharge. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also attended the ceremony.
Interestingly, former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar were seen sharing the stage during the oath-taking event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Satheesan after the swearing-in and assured full support from the Centre for Kerala’s development and welfare.
The new UDF government is expected to focus on implementing its key election promises, including free bus travel for women, ₹1,000 monthly assistance for girl students, welfare pension hikes, expanded health insurance and interest-free loans for young entrepreneurs.
The swearing-in ceremony signals a major political shift in Kerala and marks the beginning of a new phase in the state’s governance after a decade of Left rule.
