Congress leader VD Satheesan is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala today, along with his full Council of 20 ministers. Satheesan formally announced his next Cabinet on Sunday.
The swearing-in will be held at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital, at 10 am today. Satheesan met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Lok Bhavan on Sunday and submitted the list of ministers to be sworn in along with him.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government returned to power after a decade-long gap following a decisive electoral mandate in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections.
11 Congress and 5 IUML ministers in the list
Congress will have 11 ministers in the cabinet, while IUML will have five.
Satheesan’s cabinet comprises experienced leaders and 14 first-time ministers, including two women and two members of the Scheduled Caste community.
With Kerala, Congress will have four state governments in India. The other three are Telangana, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh.
Senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and several chief ministers, are expected to attend the swearing-in. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has not confirmed his participation and may attend later. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was present at Vijay’s oath-taking earlier this month.
At a press conference on Sunday, Satheesan said former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam, and IUML leaders are also expected to attend.
Full list of ministers to take oath today
The ministers announced include senior Congress leaders and former ministers Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan, and A P Anil Kumar, besides KPCC chief Sunny Joseph.
Senior IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty, RSP leader Shibu Baby John, Kerala Congress leader Mons Joseph, and Kerala Congress (Jacob) leader Anoop Jacob will also be ministers.
All of them have served as ministers in the previous UDF government.
The new faces in the cabinet are C P John and IUML leaders N Shamsuddin, K M Shaji, P K Basheer and V E Abdul Gafoor.
| Full List of leaders to take oath in the new UDF led government in Kerala | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Party |
| VD Satheesan – Chief Minister | Congress |
| Ramesh Chennithala | Congress |
| Sunny Joseph | Congress |
| K Muraleedharan | Congress |
| PC Vishnunadh | Congress |
| AP Anil Kumar | Congress |
| Roji M John | Congress |
| T Siddique | Congress |
| Bindhu Krishna | Congress |
| M Liju | Congress |
| OJ Janeesh | Congress |
| KA Thulasi | Congress |
| PK Kunhalikutty | IUML |
| PK Basheer | IUML |
| KM Shaji | IUML |
| N Shamsudheen | IUML |
| VE Abdul Gafoor | IUML |
| Mons Joseph | Kerala Congress |
| Anoop Jacob | Kerala Congress |
| Shibu Baby John | Revolutionary Socialist Party |
| CP John | Communist Marxist Party Kerala State Committee |
Congress leaders P C Vishnunadh, Roji M John, Bindu Krishna, T Siddique, K A Thulasi and O J Janeesh are also among the new ministers from the party.
The UDF has also decided to appoint senior legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as Speaker of the Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will serve as Deputy Speaker.
The chief whip will be from Kerala Congress (J) and will be announced by party chairman P J Joseph.
Satheesan said several deserving leaders could not be accommodated in the cabinet despite the Congress securing 63 seats, calling it one of the party’s biggest victories in the state.
“Let new faces come. There should be opportunity for all,” Satheesan said.
Let new faces come. There should be opportunity for all.
The UDF secured a historic and decisive victory in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, bringing an end to the decade-long rule of the Left Democratic Front (LDF). Led by the Congress party, which won 63 seats, the coalition achieved a landslide majority by capturing 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly. The IUML won 22 seats, the LDF won 35 and the BJP managed to win three constituencies.
Key Takeaways
- The UDF’s victory marks a significant political shift in Kerala, ending a decade-long rule by the LDF.
- A diverse cabinet has been formed, highlighting the inclusion of new faces and representation from various communities.
- The swearing-in signifies a renewed political landscape in Kerala with the Congress party regaining power.
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