A thunderous roar swept across the packed Central Stadium on Monday morning as V.D. Satheesan rose to take oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Kerala, marking the return of a Congress-led UDF government to power after a gap of 10 years.
The moment Satheesan’s name was announced by Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar, the crowd erupted into prolonged cheers, with party workers waving flags and raising slogans in celebration of the Congress’ return to office. The excitement was unmistakable, as for many Congress workers and supporters, this was a long-awaited political homecoming.
The last Congress-led UDF government in Kerala was headed by the late former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who took oath in 2011. The swearing-in ceremony, held at the Central Stadium just a stone’s throw away from the seat of power -- the Secretariat -- carried both political symbolism and emotional weight.
Satheesan, who turns 62 on Sunday, took the oath in the name of God as thousands watched from inside and outside the overflowing venue. In a departure from established convention, several national and state political heavyweights shared the dais with Satheesan and his 20 Cabinet colleagues.
Among them were Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, outgoing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, State BJP president and newly elected MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar, secretaries of both Communist parties and senior Congress veterans.
The Chief Ministers from Congress-ruled Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh were seated on the dais, underlining the national importance attached by the Congress leadership to the Kerala victory. Veteran IUML leader P.K. Kunhalikutty was the second to take the oath, followed by senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and Sunny Joseph.
The 21-member ministry includes 12 ministers from the Congress, five from the IUML and one each from Kerala Congress, Kerala Congress (Jacob), CMP and RSP. The festive mood was visible from dawn itself as supporters poured into the capital city in large numbers.
The stadium soon overflowed, leaving many unable to enter the venue. Interestingly, Mons Joseph is the only minister in the new Cabinet who served as a minister during the V.S. Achuthanandan-led Left government between 2007 and 2009, when his then party, Kerala Congress (Joseph) faction, was aligned with the LDF.
For 14 members of the new Cabinet, Monday marked their first oath-taking as ministers, giving the ministry a distinctly fresh face. Earlier in the day, Satheesan personally reached the airport to receive the visiting dignitaries, setting the tone for a day packed with symbolism and political messaging.
Following the customary tea reception after the ceremony, the newly sworn-in Cabinet headed straight to the Secretariat for its first Cabinet meeting, where key decisions, including the implementation of the five guarantees announced by Rahul Gandhi during the election campaign, are expected to be discussed.