After a decade in opposition, the Congress-led United Democratic Front is back in power in Kerala. Senior Congress leader VD Satheesan will be sworn in as the state's new Chief Minister at 10 am on May 18 at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, alongside a 20-member Council of Ministers.

The UDF's return follows a decisive mandate in the April 9 Assembly elections, where the alliance won 102 seats in the 140-member House, handing a clear defeat to the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front, which had governed the state for two consecutive terms under Pinarayi Vijayan.

How Satheesan became Kerala's CM?

A six-time MLA, Satheesan was selected by the Congress high command after ten days of deliberations in which senior leaders KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala were also considered. The party ultimately went with Satheesan, the man who led the UDF's campaign and delivered the majority that made Monday possible.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Satheesan described the occasion as historic. "After 60 years, the entire UDF cabinet is set to take the oath tomorrow at 10 AM. We have completed the entire process within 24 hours, a feat unprecedented in the history of Kerala. This was possible because, even after the elections, Team UDF remains Team UDF. The leaders respect each other," he said.

Full UDF Cabinet list

Of the 20 ministers taking oath alongside Satheesan, 14 are first-timers, a deliberate signal of generational change. The ministry ensures representation for alliance partners and diverse communities, including women and Scheduled Caste leaders.

Congress (11 ministers)

• VD Satheesan - Chief Minister
• Ramesh Chennithala
• K Muraleedharan
• Sunny Joseph
• Bindhu Krishna
• AP Anil Kumar
• PC Vishnunadh
• M Liju
• Roji M John
• T Siddique
• OJ Janeesh
• KA Thulasi

IUML (5 ministers)

• PK Kunhalikutty
• PK Basheer
• N Shamsudeen
• KM Shaji
• VE Abdul Gafoor

Alliance partners (4 ministers)

• Mons Joseph: Kerala Congress
• Shibu Baby John: RSP
• Anoop Jacob: Kerala Congress (Jacob)
• CP John: CMP

Assembly leadership

Senior legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan has been appointed Speaker of the Assembly, with Shanimol Usman serving as Deputy Speaker.

Who will attend the oath-taking ceremony?

The swearing-in is expected to be a major show of strength for the Congress-led alliance. Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are expected to attend, along with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and CPI leader Binoy Viswam have also been invited.

Published on: May 18, 2026 9:39 AM IST