Big day for Kerala: V.D. Satheesan to take oath as CM - Who will attend swearing-in ceremony?

Kerala CM oath ceremony: VD Satheesan served as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Kerala Legislative Assembly since 2021 and is now scheduled to take oath as the next Chief Minister of the state on Monday morning. 

Kerala CM oath ceremony: After days of uncertainty, intense negotiations, and unexpected twists, the Congress high command cleared the way for V.D. Satheesan to take the oath of office as Kerala’s next Chief Minister on Monday. The swearing-in ceremony of the new government will take place at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, officially launching a new political chapter in Kerala following the UDF’s historic election victory. 

This also marks the Congress party’s return to the state's top post after a long time. The last Congress leader to assume the Chief Minister's office in Kerala was Oommen Chandy back in 2011.

Meanwhile, Satheesan served as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Kerala Legislative Assembly since 2021 and emerged as one of the prominent faces of the UDF campaign against the outgoing Left government.

Kerala CM oath ceremony: Guest list

The swearing-in ceremony is reportedly being planned as a massive political show of strength, and nearly one lakh people are expected to gather.

Senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Mallikarjuna Kharge, are likely to attend the event. The Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Telangana are also expected to be present.

The first session of the new Assembly is scheduled for Thursday, when newly elected MLAs will take the oath.

Also Read: 10-day drama, two phone calls, and a calculated consensus: How VD Satheesan outmaneuvered Rahul Gandhi’s inner circle to clinch Kerala

Satheeshan's 20-member UDF cabinet

Satheesan on Sunday announced the composition of the new 20-member UDF Council of Ministers ahead of Monday’s swearing-in ceremony. 

The ministry reflects a combination of experienced leaders and new-generation faces, with representation from the Congress and UDF allies, including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress, and other constituent parties. 

The ministers in the Satheesan cabinet are Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph, K. Muraleedharan, A.P. Anil Kumar, P.C. Vishnunadh, Roji M. John, Bindhu Krishna, M. Liju, T. Siddique, K.A. Thulasi, O.J. Janeesh (Congress), P.K. Kunhalikutty, N. Samsudheen, K.M. Shaji, P.K. Basheer, and V.E. Abdul Gafoor (IUML), Mons Joseph (Kerala Congress-Joseph), Shibu Baby John (Revolutionary Socialist Party), Anoop Jacob (Kerala Congress-Jacob), and C.P. John (Communist Marxist Party).

Kerala election result 2026

The Congress-led UDF secured a mandate in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, winning 102 seats and ending the Left Democratic Front (LDF)'s decade-long rule in the state.

(with agencies' inputs) 

Also Read: Who is VD Satheesan? Meet Kerala's new CM, the lawyer, who won the leadership race