THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, May 18: Vadasseri Damodara Menon Satheesan, who steered the Congress-led UDF back to power in Kerala after a decade by unseating the Left Front, took oath as chief minister on Monday at a packed and politically charged ceremony held at the Central Stadium here.
His 20-member Cabinet, featuring a mix of experienced leaders and new entrants, was also sworn in by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, with senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala-once seen as a contender for the top post-among those inducted.
The ceremony drew a wide spectrum of political leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi, with alliance partners such as the IUML, the UDF’s second-largest constituent, securing adequate representation in the new ministry, signalling a careful balancing of coalition interests in the new government. (PTI)
