Thiruvananthapuram, May 17:Ahead of tomorrow’s swearing-in ceremony, Keralam Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan on Sunday met Governor Rajendra Arlekar and submitted the final list of his proposed cabinet ministers, which includes three women. Speaking at a press conference at Cantonment House in Thiruvananthapuram, Satheesan unveiled the names of 20 ministers who will take oath alongside him at the ceremony.
Key ministers include Ramesh Chennithala, KPCC Chief Sunny Joseph, and K. Muraleedharan. Satheesan also announced that Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan will serve as Speaker, Shanimol Usman as Deputy Speaker, and Kerala Congress chief P.J. Joseph as Chief Whip.
The new United Democratic Front (UDF) government is set to be sworn in on Monday at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Satheesan, who led the Congress-headed UDF alliance to a decisive victory in the 2026 Assembly elections—ending a decade of Left Democratic Front (LDF) rule—highlighted the significance of the full cabinet:
"After 60 years, a complete UDF cabinet will be sworn in tomorrow at 10 a.m. Today, we submitted the list of 20 ministers to the Governor. All 21 ministers will take oath with me,"Satheesan said.
He added that the cabinet formation was the fastest in Kerala’s history, completed within 24 hours after the elections following consultations with coalition partners and Congress leaders. Congress will hold 11 ministerial posts. Satheesan noted the need to balance social, regional, and gender representation, saying,"We have included two SC members, two women in the Cabinet, and one woman as Deputy Speaker."
Several dignitaries are expected at the swearing-in, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, and other state ministers. Leaders from other parties, such as Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, CPI Secretary Binoy Viswam, and IUML President Panakkad Sadikal, will also attend. Regarding Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin’s participation, Satheesan said no confirmation had been received yet.
On portfolio allocation, Satheesan said most decisions have been finalized, with minor adjustments pending. The list of ministerial departments will be submitted to the Governor following the swearing-in, after which the official Gazette notification will be issued.
Earlier on Sunday, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) confirmed it will have five ministers in the new cabinet. At a press conference at Panakkad Hall, the League announced that PK Kunhalikutty, PK Basheer, N. Shamsudheen, K.M. Shaji, and Abdul Gafoor will assume ministerial roles. Parakkal MLA Abdulla will join the cabinet after about two and a half years, with the League deciding which minister he will replace at that time.
The complete list of ministers submitted to the Governor includes: Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph, K. Muraleedharan, P.C. Vishnunadh, A.P. Anilkumar, Roji M. John, T. Siddique, Bindu Krishna, M. Liju, O.J. Janeesh, K.A. Thulasi, PK Kunhalikutty, PK Basheer, K.M. Shaji, N. Shamsudheen, V.E. Abdul Gafoor, Mons Joseph, Shibu Baby John, C.P. John, and Anoop Jacob.
Meanwhile, Kerala Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar, accompanied by ADGP H. Venkatesh, paid a visit to senior Congress leader and MLA-elect Ramesh Chennithala.
The UDF’s victory in the 2026 Assembly elections was historic: the Congress-led coalition captured 102 out of 140 seats, with Congress winning 63, IUML 22, while the LDF secured 35 seats and BJP three constituencies.
