Ramesh Chennithala, KPCC Chief Sunny Joseph among cabinet members as Kerala CM VD Satheeshan reveals names of ministers

Kerala Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan on Sunday unveiled the names of his cabinet ministers ahead of the swearing-in ceremony in the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram, on Monday. The most notable among them is veteran Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who was one of the three front-runners in the race to become the 13th Chief Minister of Kerala.

After he was overlooked in favour of Satheesan, Chennithala, who served as the Home Minister in the previous Oommen Chandy-led government, had conveyed his displeasure to the party leadership and had even threatened to resign as MLA. However, after several high-level meetings, including with the CM designate, the former KPCC president changed his decision and agreed to join the cabinet.

New Kerala cabinet ministers

In the 20-member cabinet, Chennithala will be joined by another former KPCC president, K Muraleedharan. Current President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), Sunny Joseph, has also been named as one of the ministers in the Satheesan cabinet.

Joining the veterans are PC Vishnunadh, Roji M John, Bindu Krishna, T Siddique, KA Thulasi, and OJ Janeesh as first-time ministers.

IUML gets five ministers

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second-largest party in the United Democratic Front (UDF) has been granted five cabinet positions. The party has named PK Kunhalikutty, N Shamsudeen, KM Shaji, PK Basheer and VE Abdul Gafoor as its ministers.

RSP leader Shibu Baby John, Kerala Congress leader Mons Joseph, Kerala Congress (Jacob) leader Anoop Jacob, and CMP leader CP John will also be ministers in the new UDF government.

As many as 14 members of the cabinet are new faces. Bindu Krishna and KA Thulasi are the only two women ministers in the cabinet.

"In recent Congress history in Kerala, there have been only two women ministers, and a woman has also been selected for the Deputy Speaker post," Satheeshan said, while announcing the cabinet.

Senior Congress leaders and former state home minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan has been named Speaker of the Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will serve as Deputy Speaker.

Kerala assembly election results

Congress-led UDF won a total of 102 seats in the 140-member Kerala Legislative Assembly in the elections held on April 9. The Congress won 63 seats, in one of the party's biggest victories in the state after being in the opposition benches for two successive terms.

Battle for CM's post

Despite a clear mandate for the party, among the five states where assembly elections were held in April and May, Kerala is the last to form a government as an intense infight delayed the announcement of the Chief Minister’s name.

AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal, who did not contest the assembly elections and is currently a Lok Sabha MP, was also in the race along with Chennithala and Satheeshan to become the new chief minister.

Ending days of high drama and speculations, the Congress leadership finally named Satheeshan as its Kerala Chief Minister pick on Thursday.

Senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and several chief ministers, are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony on Monday.

Former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam, and IUML leaders are expected to attend the event.