Kerala New CM VD Satheesan Takes Oath: Congress leader V. D. Satheesan officially took oath as the new Chief Minister of Kerala on Monday, and yeah it also marked the return of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) to power after a decade. The swearing-in ceremony happened at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, with senior Congress leaders present, plus alliance partners and thousands of supporters who gathered there for the moment.
This new UDF government comes with a 21-member ministry, including the Chief Minister. Along with him there are a few fresh faces, and the key representatives from the alliance too. Reports suggest that 14 ministers in the new cabinet are making their entry for the first time, which in turn signals a big generational jump in Kerala politics.
Full List Of Ministers In The VD Satheesan Cabinet
According to the official list released ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, the following leaders are part of the new Kerala cabinet:
1. P. K. Kunhalikutty
2. Ramesh Chennithala
3. Sunny Joseph
4. K. Muraleedharan
5. Mons Joseph
6. Shibu Baby John
7. Anoop Jacob
8. C. P. John
9. A. P. Anil Kumar
10. N. Samsudheen
11. P. C. Vishnunath
12. Roji M. John
13. Bindu Krishna
14. M. Liju
15. K. M. Shaji
16. P. K. Basheer
17. V. E. Abdul Gafoor
18. T. Siddique
19. K. A. Thulasi
20. O. J. Janeesh
21. V. D. Satheesan
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Kerala New CM VD Satheesan Takes Oath: UDF Returns To Power After 10 Years
The oath-taking ceremony marks a significant political comeback for the UDF in Kerala after two consecutive terms of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by Pinarayi Vijayan. The Congress-led alliance secured a decisive mandate in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, paving the way for Satheesan’s elevation as Chief Minister.
CM VD Satheesan’s 20 cabinet members take oath: Senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan and KPCC chief Sunny Joseph, along with IUML leaders PK Kunhalikutty, PK Basheer, N Samsudheen, KM Shaji and VE Abdul Gafoor sworn in
Tune in – https://t.co/9gKwgxKQhm pic.twitter.com/aefeZxAHJP
— Republic (@republic) May 18, 2026
“We have discussed with the coalition partners… and within 24 hours, we have completed the entire process,” Satheesan said. “We have to consider the social and regional balance and the representation of women and Dalit representation… We have included two members from the SC, and women’s representation has been ensured.”
Political observers believe the new cabinet reflects a balance between experienced leaders and younger faces while also accommodating key UDF allies, including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Soon after taking oath, Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan indicated that the new government would focus on governance reforms, employment generation, infrastructure and financial revival in Kerala. Reports also suggest that portfolio allocation discussions continued till late Sunday before the final cabinet structure was approved.
The event was attended by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, MP Priyanka Gandhi, and General Secretary KC Venugopal.
It included Congress chief ministers and deputy chief ministers like Siddaramaiah (Karnataka), alongside deputy CMs DK Shivakumar, Revanth Reddy (Telangana), and Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh). Former Keralam CM Pinarayi Vijayan, former Assembly Speaker AN Shamsheer, Keralam BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and CPI leader Binoy Viswam also attended the swearing-in ceremony.
