V D Satheesan-led Cabinet sworn in, announces key welfare measures

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.

Soon after the one-and-a-half-hour-long oath-taking ceremony and tea gathering at Lok Bhavan, the new Cabinet, chaired by Satheesan, held its first meeting at the state secretariat and decided to implement two of the five programmes announced by Rahul during the launch of the Assembly election campaign in March. This includes free travel for women on KSRTC buses from June 15 and the creation of a dedicated department for elderly people, which, according to the CM, is the "first of its kind" in the country. The other guarantees announced by Rahul during the elections are a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000 for girl students in colleges, an increase in the welfare pension to Rs 3,000, health insurance coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh per household, and interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh for young entrepreneurs.

Fulfilling a promise made during the prolonged agitation by ASHA workers in front of the Secretariat during the Left rule, the UDF Cabinet also approved an increase of Rs 3,000 per month in their honorarium, taking the total monthly remuneration to Rs 12,000. Although this falls short of the commitment made in the UDF poll manifesto, Satheesan said the promises would be implemented in a phased manner. Satheesan said that the government would increase the monthly remuneration of Anganwadi workers and helpers by Rs 1,000. He added that an additional Rs 1,000 per month would be given to school cooking staff, and that the honorarium of pre-primary teachers and ayahs (nannies) would also be increased by Rs 1,000. Populist measures were announced after the UDF alleged that the state’s finances were in dire straits.

In view of this, Satheesan said that a white paper would be issued detailing the state’s financial condition and the government exchequer. He also announced key decisions related to the convening of the new Assembly session on May 21 and 22 for the swearing-in of MLAs and the election of the Speaker. The Governor’s policy address will take place on May 29. In another major decision, the Cabinet approved the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to reinvestigate a case related to the alleged assault on two Youth Congress workers by gunmen of the then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during a protest against the Nava Kerala Yatra in Alappuzha in 2023. A D Thomas, who won the election from Alappuzha, was among the Youth Congress leaders who suffered injuries.

Satheesan dismissed the suggestion that it was a political vendetta and said the government was only implementing the court’s directive. Earlier, Satheesan took the oath in the name of God, amid loud cheers from thousands of supporters who had poured into the state capital from various parts of Kerala, as he said his full name during the swearing-in. The entire swearing-in ceremony was held in an energetic and celebratory manner, indicative of the high spirits within the UDF, which came back to power by winning 102 of the 140 seats in the Assembly.

UDF workers and supporters also raised loud cheers as each of the new Cabinet ministers, including senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan, A P Anil Kumar and state party chief Sunny Joseph, was sworn in. The venue was packed with thousands of UDF workers and supporters, some of whom arrived with their families, including children, for the grand event and were seen dancing to drum beats before the swearing-in commenced. Braving the humid weather by fanning themselves with scraps of paper, the supporters did not let the weather dampen their spirits as they shouted "Team UDF" and "UDF Zindabad". Many people told reporters that they had waited for 10 years to see their alliance back in power and asserted that it would be a strong government.

Senior IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty, RSP leader Shibu Baby John, Kerala Congress leader Mons Joseph, Kerala Congress (Jacob) leader Anoop Jacob, and CMP leader C P John were also sworn in as ministers to rousing cheers from the crowd energised by the UDF's large victory. There are 14 new faces in the Cabinet, including Satheesan, who is holding such a government position for the first time despite being elected from the Paravur Assembly seat near Kochi since 2001.