A sense of joy prevailed across Paravur, the home turf of V. D Satheesan as he was sworn in as Chief Minister of Kerala on Monday.

It was business as usual in the shopping area close to the court complex in North Paravur in the morning. Geetha, 50, a fruit and vegetable vendor, was all smiles as she described the swearing-in ceremony as a ‘historic moment’ for the constituency, which had sent Mr. Satheesan to the Kerala Assembly for a record six times since 2001. “We can now say proudly that the State’s Chief Minister is from Paravur,” she said.

Muraleedharan, a senior citizen who was standing nearby, said that it was a proud moment not only for Paravur, but the entire Kerala. “We are really happy for what he has acheived,” he said. Shahjahan, who has been running a fruit shop in the area for the last six years, said that Mr. Satheesan has always held the constituency close to his heart. “From now onwards, he will hold the entire State close to his heart as its Chief Minister,” he said.

Sivankutty, 62, who runs a provision store, said that Mr. Satheesan’s elevation as Chief Minister brings a lot of hope for the common man. “He is capable of delivering the promises and we hope that it will bring relief to many,” he said.

At the Samooham High School in North Paravur, a flex board with Mr. Satheesan’s photo and the institution in the backdrop was put up by his supporters, including the staff members of the school. “He has a close association with our school for long,” recalled Prajeesh, and Krishnaprasad who were busy placing the flex board on to the compound wall. Mohammed Hafiz, a district-level member of the Congress-affiliated Kerala Pradesh School Teachers’ Association, exuded confidence that the new government will rise up to the expectations of the people.

Ramesh D. Kurup, chairperson of North Paravur municipality, said that over 2,000 workers of Congress party and allies in the constituency had travelled to Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday itself to watch the swearing-in ceremomy live.