Keralam CM VD Satheesan holds first official meeting with PM Modi after taking office
New Delhi, May 26
Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Tuesday held his first official meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after assuming office earlier this month.
During the meeting, Satheesan presented the Prime Minister with a wooden figurine depicting a Kathakali dancer, symbolising Kerala's rich cultural heritage.
The meeting comes days after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) returned to power in Keralam after a gap of ten years. Satheesan took oath as the state's 13th Chief Minister on May 18 at a grand ceremony held at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Satheesan and his council of ministers in the presence of thousands of supporters, party workers and political leaders.
Along with the Chief Minister, 20 ministers were sworn in, including 14 first-time ministers, two women ministers and two representatives from the Scheduled Caste community. The Congress secured 11 ministerial berths in the new cabinet, while ally Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) received five portfolios. Other allies, including Kerala Congress factions, the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the Communist Marxist Party, were also represented in the ministry.
The UDF recorded a decisive victory in the Assembly elections held on April 9. Results declared on May 4 showed the alliance winning 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) secured 35 seats and the BJP won three seats.
Earlier this month, the Keralam government announced portfolio allocations for the new cabinet. Chief Minister Satheesan retained major departments, including Finance, Law, Ports, Airports, Railways, Metro Rail and Pollution Control.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala was assigned the Home portfolio, while K Muraleedharan took charge of Health and Medical Education. P K Kunhalikutty was entrusted with Industries, Commerce and Information Technology.
The new UDF government has indicated that infrastructure development, investment, employment generation and welfare programmes will be among its key priorities in the coming months.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a Malayali, I'm cautiously optimistic. Satheesan has a tough job ahead - opposition is strong in Kerala, and people's expectations from UDF are sky-high after 10 years. The meeting with PM is a start, but I wish they had discussed more concrete issues like flood relief and GST compensation arrears.
Interesting to see a Congress CM meeting Modi so early. In today's politics, optics matter almost as much as substance. The Kathakali gift was smart - non-confrontational and proud of Kerala's identity. But citizens will judge based on development, not dance 🩰
The cabinet composition is interesting - 20 ministers with good representation across communities. But 11 Congress berths out of 20 shows the dominance of the main party. Hope the allies aren't sidelined in decision-making. That said, Satheesan holding finance himself is smart - centralisation of power can be either good or bad.
First meeting is always about building rapport. I'm curious what was discussed behind closed doors. Kerala desperately needs investment and infrastructure upgrade. The new government's priorities sound good, but implementation is key. Let's see if Modi extends a hand or plays hardball.
Respect for the cultural gesture 🌴 But I hope this meeting wasn't just symbolic. We need real cooperation on issues like Vizhinjam port, Sabarimala development, and tourism revival post-COVID. Satheesan should push hard for Kerala's share in central schemes.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.