Kerala Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan on Sunday (May 17, 2026) announced his ministerial team ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in the State. Mr. Satheesan said the list of Ministers had been finalised after discussions among alliance leaders, taking into account social and regional balance within the coalition. He said senior leaders Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan and Sunny Joseph would be inducted as ministers.
The UDF also decided to appoint senior legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as Speaker of the Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will serve as Deputy Speaker. Mr. Satheesan said many deserving leaders could not be accommodated in the Cabinet despite the Congress securing 63 seats, describing it as one of the party’s biggest victories in the State. “There are many deserving leaders both within and outside the list. But a party like the Congress has to consider social balance, regional representation and several other factors while taking such decisions,” he said.
A decade after losing power, the United Democratic Front (UDF) is set to form the next government in Kerala, with Mr. Satheesan and his Cabinet of 20 Ministers taking take the oath of office on Monday (May 18, 2026).
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Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said, “The discussion is already completed. The Chief Minister, VD Satheesan, has already submitted the list to the Governor of Kerala... The Congress party has very senior people. We cannot accommodate everybody in the Cabinet. But we try to accommodate most of the people... The spectacular victory which has been given by the people of Kerala should be respected.”- ANI.
Kerala Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan announces the names of his Cabinet Ministers, who will take the oath alongside him at Monday’s swearing-in ceremony.- PTI
Kerala CM-designate Satheesan announces names of his Cabinet colleagues ahead of Monday’s oath-taking ceremony. Congress leaders Chennithala, Muraleedharan, Sunny Joseph will be Ministers in UDF govt in Kerala, said Mr. Satheesan. Senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan will be Speaker of Kerala Assembly, said CM-designate Satheesan- PTI
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) will get five Ministerial berths in the United Democratic Front (UDF) Cabinet.
Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, IUML State president, identified the Minister-delegates as P K Kunhalikutty, P K Basheer, P K Shamshudeen, K M Shaji and N Shamsudeen. He said the UDF will induct IUML leader Parackal Abdullah, who hails from Kozhikode, into the Cabinet after the government completes 2.5 years in office. However, Mr. Thangal demurred when asked which Minister would step down in favour of Mr. Abdullah. “It’s a decision which the party will take in the future”, he added. - G Anand.
After two days of discussions and deliberations, the UDF on Sunday (May 17) finalised its list of Cabinet Ministers, with CM-designate V D Satheesan reaching the Lok Bhavan to submit it to Kerala governor.
Earlier, Mr. Satheesan had said that the full Cabinet, comprising 20 Ministers and the CM, would be sworn in on Monday (May 18).- PTI
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CM-designate V.D. Satheesan and Mons Joseph, executive chairman of the Kerala Congress, seen leaving after meetings at the KPCC office, Indira Bhavan, in Thiruvananthapuram.
Photo credit: Nirmal Harindran
Congress MP Shafi Parambil on Sunday (May 17, 2026) said the swearing-in of the Kerala chief minister and the council of ministers would mark the launch of “Team UDF.”
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Parambil said the process had moved swiftly, with the CM being decided within 11 days and only a few more days taken to finalise the ministers.
“The days are coming when the promises made by the UDF to the people will be realised,” he said.
Mr. Parambil, who is KPCC vice-president and MP from Vadakara, said the ongoing discussions on the Cabinet were a crucial process to ensure the formation of a government that works in the interest of the people. “There is no controversy as claimed. Decisions are being taken after examining all options. The proposal will be placed before the AICC, which will approve it,” he said.
Kerala’s Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan, on Sunday (May 17, 2026) sought to dispel what he termed as “hate propaganda” targeting the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key United Democratic Front (UDF) ally.
Flanked by IUML’s top leadership, including the party’s State president, Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal and national general secretary, P.K. Kunhalikutty, Mr. Satheesan said he would counter attempts to portray the IUML as an anti-secular outfit with a “prompt, strong and fitting reply”. He said the UDF government would not allow any entity to create social schisms in Kerala.
Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, State Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar said there was no confirmation on whether Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay would arrive for the event scheduled for Monday (May 17, 2026).
Sarath Babu George
Kerala Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar visited senior Congress leader and MLA-elect Ramesh Chennithala, who is tipped to be Home Minister, at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram.
He was accompanied by Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) H. Venkatesh and other officers.
Addressing media persons after the meeting, Mr. Chandrasekhar said the delegation extended its congratulations during the courtesy call. The discussions also focused on the security arrangements ahead of the swearing-in ceremony on Monday (May 17, 2026).
Sarath Babu George
As discussions on ministerial berths in the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) progressed in Thiruvananthapuram, AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal said that the list will be handed to Governor Rajendra Arlekar Sunday evening (May 17, 2026).
“You will know who the ministers are when the swearing-in takes place at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Monday),” Mr. Venugopal said in Alappuzha, in response to questions about when the names will be announced.
An efficient team will make up Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala, Mr. Venugopal said on Sunday, adding that there need be no doubt that it would fulfill the expectations of the State.
The Hindu Bureau
Congress’ discussions with the UDF partners, especially the Kerala Congress (J), was in full swing on Sunday morning (May 17, 2026).
The parliamentary party meet of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is under way in Thiruvananthapuram and the leaders said they would hand over the list of their ministers to CM-designate V.D. Satheesan after the parliamentary party meeting.
The Hindu Bureau
While Congress insiders said a “clear picture” would emerge before 1 p.m., the leadership is understood to have requested allies to make compromises and strike a middle ground. This comes ahead of the 2 p.m. deadline for Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan to submit the list of Council of Ministers to Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlerkar.
Congress insiders confirmed reports that Mani C. Kappan, Nationalist Congress Kerala’s MLA-elect, who felled Kerala Congress (M) chairperson Jose K. Mani in a high-profile battle for Pala constituency, has rejected the demand that single-legislator parties agree to “term-sharing” in the Cabinet.
Anoop Jacob of the Kerala Congress (Jacob), MLA-elect from Piravom, has also demanded a full term in the government. Kerala Congress leader P.J. Joseph has demanded two Cabinet ministers for his party, which has seven MLA-designates.
Kerala Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan met Cardinal Baselios Cleemis at the Bishop House in Pattom on Sunday (May 17, 2026).
Cleemis is the head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. After a brief interaction with clerics, he accompanied Cardinal Cleemis to the dining room, where they held discussions after being served tea. After spending around 30 minutes, they met reporters together.
He congratulated Satheesan and wished him success in leading the State. When asked whether minority issues were discussed during the meeting, the Cleemis said no such discussions were held as Mr. Satheesan is yet to be sworn in as the CM.
“We strongly believe that the government under him will respect all communities in the State,” he said.
Ahead of the new government formation in Kerala, the Congress leadership on Sunday (May 17, 2026) continued its negotiations with United Democratic Front (UDF) allies over Cabinet-related decisions and the sharing of ministerial portfolios.
IUML national general secretary and MLA-elect P.K. Kunhalikutty’s inclusion in a senior position was a certainty.
UDF insiders said the IUML was reportedly weighing the names of K.M. Shaji, N. Shamshudeen, Parakkal Abdulla, V.E. Abdul Gafoor and P.K. Basheer as Cabinet ministers.
V.D. Satheesan was often seen as a loner at the party. However, he never shied away from speaking his mind. His candid approach won him more foes than friends in the organisation, which was then divided into two opposing camps, the ‘I’ faction led by former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran and the ‘A’ group, the loyalists of another former Chief Minister and Union Minister A.K. Antony. Though Mr. Satheesan was identified with the ‘I’ faction during his early years of political career, he quickly moved away from the factions to assert his independent identity.
The five years of his political life as the Leader of the Opposition saw the emergence of an aggressive leader, who confronted the CPI(M) on the floor of the House. Reinvigorating the battle-weary organisation and its disillusioned cadres following two back-to-back electoral defeats was no easy task. A few prominent leaders left the organisation for the BJP after declaring that the days of the party were numbered in the State.
Yet, Mr. Satheesan never gave up. Losses and defeats never doused his fighting spirit.
V.D. Satheesan, a Nehruvian revivalist, leads Congress to a historic victory in Kerala, marking his ascent to Chief Minister.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Sunny Joseph said the list of ministers would be finalised by noon. He spoke after arriving at the party’s State headquarters, Indira Bhavan, in Thiruvananthapuram.
The final list will be submitted to Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar later in the day, he said.
Mr. Joseph, who is expected to get a ministerial berth, added that Chief Minister-designate V. D. Satheesan will take the final call on portfolio allocation.
Sarath Babu George
Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan was pushing for the inclusion of women, Bindu Krishna and Shanimol Usman, in the new Cabinet, according to his office.
He has reportedly also expressed his preference for younger legislators, including Chandy Oommen and V.T. Balaram, to join the government.
According to his office, Mr. Satheesan might hold the finance portfolio. While in the Opposition, he had assailed the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) administration for “poor financial management, shoddy tax administration and reckless extravagance”.
Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) leadership appeared locked in hectic last-minute consultations among all party factions and key allies to finalise the contours of the Cabinet ahead of the government’s swearing-in on Monday (May 18, 2026).
The Congress leadership, including AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Deepadas Munsi, was reportedly making haste to prod the faction chiefs into a lasting consensus on cabinet formation before the deadline for submitting the final list of ministers to Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar expires at 2 p.m.
Congress is in urgent negotiations for cabinet formation in Kerala ahead of the swearing-in scheduled for May 18, 2026.
Published - May 17, 2026 10:56 am IST
United Democratic Front / Left Democratic Front / Indian National Congress / Communist Party of India -Marxist
Source: The Hindu - India News
