Vadasseri Damodaran Satheesan on Monday took oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala, marking the Congress-led United Democratic Front’s (UDF) return to power after a decade. The grand swearing-in ceremony, held at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, witnessed an enthusiastic crowd, senior national leaders and a rare display of political unity on stage.

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office to Satheesan, who was sworn in along with a 20-member Cabinet. The event carried strong political significance as leaders across party lines attended the ceremony, reflecting the importance of the transition in Kerala politics.

Among those present on the dais were former Chief Minister and current Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan, CPM State Secretary M V Govindan, former Speaker A N Shamseer, CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam and BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar. UDF ally leaders, including IUML State President Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal and Kerala Congress leader P J Joseph, were also seated prominently on stage.

Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attended the ceremony alongside chief ministers from Congress-ruled states, including Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The new Cabinet reflects a mix of experience and fresh leadership, with 14 first-time ministers included in the ministry. The Cabinet also features two women ministers and two representatives from the Scheduled Caste community, underlining the UDF’s focus on social and regional balance.

The ministers sworn in are Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph, K Muraleedharan, A P Anil Kumar, P K Kunhalikutty, Shibu Baby John, Mons Joseph, Anoop Jacob, C P John, N Shamsuddin, P C Vishnunadh, Roji M John, Bindu Krishna, M Liju, K M Shaji, P K Basheer, V E Abdul Gafoor, T Siddique, K A Thulasi and O J Janeesh.

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key UDF ally, secured five Cabinet berths. IUML State President Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal also confirmed that MLA Parakkal Abdulla would be inducted into the Cabinet after two-and-a-half years as part of a rotational arrangement, though the party has not announced which minister would step down.

Ahead of the swearing-in, Satheesan met Governor Arlekar at Lok Bhavan on Sunday and submitted the final list of ministers. Speaking after the ceremony, the Chief Minister said the Cabinet was formed after extensive discussions among alliance partners to ensure inclusive representation across communities and regions.

He acknowledged that despite the Congress winning 63 seats — one of the party’s strongest performances in Kerala in recent years — several deserving leaders could not be accommodated in the ministry.

The UDF has also finalised key Assembly positions. Senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan is set to become the Assembly Speaker, while Shanimol Usman will serve as Deputy Speaker. Thodupuzha MLA Apu John Joseph, son of P J Joseph, has been appointed Chief Whip.

Portfolio allocation is expected to be announced shortly after formal approval from the Governor through a gazette notification.

Following the oath-taking ceremony, the ministers attended a reception at Lok Bhavan before participating in the Cabinet’s first official meeting. The new government is expected to recommend convening the Assembly soon. Newly elected MLAs are likely to take oath on May 21, the Speaker election is expected on May 22, the Governor’s policy address is scheduled for May 29 and the state Budget is likely to be presented by June 5.

The historic political transition also gained significant attention among Malayali audiences in the Gulf, with Gold 101.3FM UAE’s No.1 radio station closely following and updating listeners on Kerala’s new political chapter