Ramesh Chennithala Claims Kerala Home Minister Post Ahead Of VD Satheesan Oath

Ahead of VD Satheesan's oath on Monday, Ramesh Chennithala announced that he would take charge of the portfolio of Home Minister in Kerala.

Satheesan is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala at 10:00 am at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, along with his full Council of Ministers, marking the return of the United Democratic Front (UDF) to power after a decade.

Chennithala said the LDF government had been rejected by the people, adding that his party's priority now was to deliver improved governance and administration.

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He said, "LDF has been rejected by the people of Kerala. Hence, it is our duty to perform well. Our commitment is to provide better administration to the people of Keralam. I will be taking up the Home portfolio. I shall ensure better law and order in Kerala."

Ramesh Chennithala Claims Kerala Home Minister Post Ahead Of VD Satheesan Oath https://t.co/48nMM960eU pic.twitter.com/Yz846OK7Xh

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 18, 2026

Ramesh Chennithala's remarks came after intense deliberations within the Congress over leadership in Kerala, with days of speculation on who would become chief minister. Several senior leaders, including KC Venugopal, were seen as contenders. However, VD Satheesan, who has not previously held a ministerial post, emerged as the frontrunner, edging out both Venugopal and Chennithala to take the top job.

Calling it an "auspicious day" as the UDF returns to power after a decade, Chennithala further said the new government is committed to delivering better governance, improving administration, and implementing the five guarantees announced by party leader Rahul Gandhi.

#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala to take oath as Keralam Minister in the VD Satheesan-led cabinet today.

He says, "Today is an auspicious day for the people of Kerala because after 10 years the UDF is coming to power... It is our bounden… pic.twitter.com/2g57IRDUhD

— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2026

He said, "Today is an auspicious day for the people of Kerala because after 10 years the UDF is coming to power. It is our bounden duty to give a good governance to the people of Kerala. The new government is going to be sworn in today. I am going to take up the home portfolio. The duty of the Home Minister is to maintain law and order situation in the state. We will try to give better administration and better law and order situation in the state of Kerala. Our leader Rahul Gandhi has announced five guarantees. We are going to implement the five guarantees."

Key Appointments

The 20-member Cabinet includes senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan and KPCC chief Sunny Joseph, along with Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leaders PK Kunhalikutty, PK Basheer, N Samsudheen, KM Shaji and VE Abdul Gafoor.

Other ministers are Mons Joseph, Shibu Baby John, Anoop Jacob, CP John, AP Anil Kumar, T Siddique, PC Vishnunath, Roji M John, Bindu Krishna, M Liju, KA Thulasi and O J Janeesh.

VD Satheesan has also named senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as Speaker of the Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will serve as Deputy Speaker. MLA Apu John Joseph has been appointed Government Chief Whip.

The swearing-in follows the UDF's decisive victory in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, bringing an end to the LDF's 10-year rule in the state.

The UDF secured a landslide mandate, winning 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly. The Congress emerged as the single-largest party with 63 seats, while the IUML won 22 seats. The LDF managed 35 seats, and the BJP won three constituencies.