TNI Bureau: Senior Congress leader VD Satheesan on Monday took oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala along with his 20-member Council of Ministers. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram at 10 am.

Satheesan finalised the cabinet after discussions among allies in the United Democratic Front (UDF) and submitted the list of ministers to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Sunday. He will also handle the Finance portfolio, while senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has been assigned the Home department.

The new cabinet includes several senior Congress leaders such as K. Muraleedharan and Sunny Joseph. Other Congress ministers include AP Anilkumar, PC Vishnunadh, Roji M John, Bindhu Krishna, M Liju, T Siddique, OJ Janeesh and KA Thulasi, who will be one of the two women ministers in the Congress quota.

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) will be represented by PK Kunhalikutty, PK Basheer, N Shamsudheen, KM Shaji and Abdul Gafoor. Leaders from alliance partners including CP John, Shibu Baby John, Anoop Jacob and Mons Joseph have also been inducted into the ministry.

The UDF has also named Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as Speaker of the Kerala Assembly and Shanimol Usman as Deputy Speaker.