"Proud moment, great responsibility": Newly sworn-in Keralam minister PC Vishnunath
Thiruvananthapuram, May 18
Newly sworn-in Keralam minister PC Vishnunath on Monday described his induction into the VD Satheesan-led Cabinet as a "proud moment" and said the United Democratic Front's electoral victory was the result of the hard work of party workers across the state.
"It is a proud moment and a great responsibility. The portfolio will be decided soon. All our workers are happy, and it is their hard work that we won the elections," Vishnunath told ANI after taking oath as minister.
Another newly sworn-in minister, Sunny Joseph, said portfolio allocation would be announced by Satheesan and assured that the new government would work in the interest of the people.
"It is up to the CM to announce the portfolios to handle. We will be serving the people to the maximum," Joseph told ANI.
Congress MLA-elect Uma Thomas said the new government represented a blend of experienced and young leaders.
"I will do the best for Keralam. We have many options, and we are a mixture of aged and fresh people," she said.
Senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who has been named Speaker of the Assembly, said he was satisfied with the responsibility entrusted to him.
"I am very happy and satisfied. My role will be difficult, but I will try my best to make it a success. All the Congress workers were looking forward to this day, because this is the liberation of a generation here," he said.
UDF-backed Independent MLA G Sudhakaran also expressed happiness over the UDF's return to power and thanked the alliance for supporting him.
"I am happy because I fought against the CPI(M) leadership and the BJP as an independent candidate. I am thankful wholeheartedly for the support of UDF. I was never afraid of the opposition, and I will fight whoever comes opposite to me," he said.
Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan said people across the state were celebrating the end of the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) decade-long rule.
"Everyone in Keralam is in a festive mode because 10 years of the Marxist rule is going to end today. Most of the people in the cabinet are experienced, and some of them are also new. I am happy with the cabinet," he said.
Earlier in the day, 20 ministers took oath as part of the new Satheesan-led Cabinet at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
Keralam Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers. The ceremony concluded with the playing of Vande Mataram followed by the National Anthem.
The 20-member Cabinet who sworn in, 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, including 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, also took the oath.
The swearing-in marked the return of the Congress-led UDF to power after defeating the LDF in the 2026 Assembly elections.
The UDF secured a landslide victory in the elections, 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 was reduced to 35 seats, while the BJP secured three constituencies.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I appreciate the mix of experience and youth that Uma Thomas mentioned. But let's be real—Ramesh Chennithala and other old guards have been around forever. Will they really let fresh voices like PC Vishnunath make decisions? I hope Satheesan ensures merit-based portfolios.
Interesting to see so many IUML ministers in the cabinet—PK Kunhalikutty, Basheer, etc. That's a strong coalition signal. Hope secularism stays intact and no one tries to play divisive politics. The LDF lost because they became arrogant, not because of any single issue.
G Sudhakaran's comment about fighting CPI(M) and BJP as an independent shows courage. Independent voices are rare in our politics. Let's hope he continues to speak truth to power, even within the UDF. The people have given a mandate—now it's time for action, not just speeches!
Rajmohan Unnithan said 'everyone in Keralam is in festive mode'—but I hope this isn't just celebration without substance. The LDF had some good schemes like Life Mission. Let the new government focus on health, education, and the wayanad landslide rehabilitation. No time for petty politics now.
Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as Speaker—interesting choice given his long career. But the role is indeed difficult. Hope he maintains order better than before! The 102-seat mandate is huge, but with great power comes great responsibility. Satheesan must ensure every community feels included.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.