V D Satheesan on Monday took oath as Kerala’s Chief Minister, with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administering the oath of office to the Congress Legislative Party leader. (Express Photo by Anand S Lal)
Kerala swearing-in ceremony LIVE: Congress leader VD Satheesan took oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Kerala on Monday, with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administering the oath of office. Satheesan was joined by his 20-member Cabinet at the swearing-in ceremony attended by senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states, former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Left leaders, BJP representatives also attended the event at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The Congress-led UDF returned to power after winning 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, while the LDF secured 35 seats and the BJP won three in the elections held on April 9.
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.
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11:29 (IST)18 May 2026
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Senior IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty and Congress veteran Ramesh Chennithala on Monday took oath as ministers in the cabinet led by Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath during the swearing-in ceremony held in Thiruvananthapuram.
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Kerala CM Oath Ceremony LIVE Updates: Crowds cheer as VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala reach swearing-in venue
Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala arrived on stage moments ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.
09:22 (IST)18 May 2026
Kerala CM Oath Ceremony LIVE Updates: ‘People rejected 10-year LDF rule, UDF will deliver better governance’, says senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala
Minister-designate and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the UDF’s return to power reflects the people’s desire for change after a decade of LDF rule. “People have rejected the 10 year rule of the LDF so it is our duty to give the people good governance. The new government is going to swear-in today,” Chennithala stated.He also added, “We have a commitment towards the people of Kerala and we have a motto to give them better administration and life. I am going to take up the Home portfolio, which is an extremely important portfolio and I will work to the best of my abilities. I appreciate the efforts and sacrifices of the young party workers over the last 10 years. Fighting all odds, we emerged victorious…”
VIDEO | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Minister-designate and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala says, “Today is a auspicious day for the people of Kerala because UDF is coming to power after 10 years. People have rejected the 10 year rule of the LDF so it is our duty to give… https://t.co/bRE5Ra7Bfe pic.twitter.com/ygaL6yOj4G
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News)
May 18, 2026
09:13 (IST)18 May 2026
Kerala CM Oath Ceremony LIVE Updates:VD Satheesan heads to airport to receive Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi ahead of swearing-in
Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan left from his residence on Monday morning as he headed to the airport to welcome Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra ahead of his swearing-in ceremony in Thiruvananthapuram. The Congress leaders are expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the new UDF government.
VIDEO | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: CM-designate VD Satheesan leaves from his residence as he heads to the airport to welcome Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, ahead of his swearing in ceremony.
(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/ZlB2ZEogGw
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 18, 2026
09:07 (IST)18 May 2026
Kerala CM Oath Ceremony LIVE Updates: With VD Satheesan as CM, Cong bets on a state reset
The Congress may have got most things right in Kerala by successfully carrying out a generational shift when it picked V D Satheesan as the Chief Minister, but the party still needs to be on guard about social equations. Unless the party can carry out a deft balancing act in government formation, the advantage it earned in the election victory may turn out to be a cause of distress at the national level.
With the BJP’s narrative focusing on the role the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) played in ensuring Satheesan is chosen for the top post, the Congress will now have to tread cautiously as it prepares to unveil the new government on Monday. Like the previous United Democratic Front (UDF) government, this one too will have five ministers from the IUML. Read Here
09:06 (IST)18 May 2026
Kerala CM Oath Ceremony LIVE Updates: V D Satheesan to take oath as Kerala CM today with full UDF Cabinet
Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Kerala on Monday at 10 am, along with the full UDF Council of Ministers at the Central Stadium in the state capital. The oath ceremony follows the formal announcement of the Cabinet list on Sunday and marks the return of the UDF government to power after a decade-long gap in the 2026 Assembly elections. (PTI)
