Congress hails ‘new political era’ as Satheesan takes oath as Kerala CM
Mallikarjun Kharge calls UDF’s sweeping mandate unprecedented as Congress returns to power in Kerala after 10 years
The Congress on Monday described the swearing-in of V.D. Satheesan as the beginning of a “new political era” in Kerala after the Congress-led United Democratic Front returned to power with a commanding electoral mandate.
Speaking ahead of the oath-taking ceremony in Thiruvananthapuram, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge termed the UDF victory “unprecedented” and said the scale of the mandate reflected widespread public support for change.
“This is an unprecedented victory. Such a huge majority has never been seen there before,” Kharge said while attending the ceremony at the Central Stadium, where Satheesan and his council of ministers were sworn in by governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
The event formally marked the end of the decade-long rule of the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front under former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the election result represented a decisive rejection of the Left government and placed a responsibility on the new administration to deliver effective governance.
“After 10 years, the UDF is coming to power. The people of Kerala rejected the LDF government, and it is now our duty to provide good governance,” he said.
The return of the Congress-led alliance comes 15 years after the party last held office in the state under late former chief minister Oommen Chandy.
Thiruvananthapuram witnessed scenes of celebration from early morning as Congress workers and supporters gathered in large numbers around the swearing-in venue. Roads leading to the Central Stadium were filled with party flags, slogans and supporters arriving from different parts of the state.
The UDF secured a sweeping victory in the assembly elections, winning 102 seats in the 140-member House. The Congress alone won 63 seats, its best-ever performance in Kerala.
Party leaders described the swearing-in not only as a transfer of power but as a significant political shift in the state after years of setbacks for the Congress.
With IANS inputs