UDF Back In Power: CM V D Satheesan Begins Kerala Tenure With Welfare Measures

· Free Press Journal

Thiruvananthapuram: V D Satheesan was sworn in as Kerala chief minister on Monday, marking the United Democratic Front’s return to power after a decade and opening his administration with a string of welfare measures aimed at women, frontline workers and senior citizens.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath at Central Stadium here as Satheesan took charge alongside a 20-member Council of Ministers. The ceremony capped the UDF’s emphatic Assembly election victory, with the alliance securing 102 seats in the 140-member House and unseating the Left Democratic Front government led by Pinarayi Vijayan.

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The Satheesan government’s first cabinet meeting moved swiftly to signal that the new administration intends to deliver quickly on campaign promises. The headline decision was approval for free travel for women in Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses from June 15, with operational guidelines to be issued by the transport department.

The cabinet also approved a Rs 3,000 monthly honorarium hike for ASHA workers, raising their pay from Rs 9,000 to Rs 12,000. The decision follows months of protests by health volunteers, whose demand for better compensation became a major political issue during the campaign. Satheesan said the increase would be the first phase of a broader revision, while acknowledging the financial constraints facing the state exchequer.

Honorarium hikes were also cleared for Anganwadi workers, Anganwadi helpers, school cooking staff, pre-primary teachers and ayas. The cabinet approved a Rs 1,000 increase for several of these categories, positioning the move as part of a broader intervention for low-paid women workers in health, nutrition and early education services.

Another major decision was the creation of a dedicated department for senior citizens. The new department is expected to coordinate policy on healthcare access, social security, welfare delivery and protection mechanisms for older people, a demographic priority in a state with one of the country’s fastest-ageing populations.

The cabinet’s composition reflects both continuity and generational change. Congress secured the largest share of portfolios with 12 berths, while the Indian Union Muslim League received five. Kerala Congress, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Kerala Congress and CMP were each accommodated with one berth, underscoring the coalition arithmetic that has traditionally shaped UDF governments.

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Senior leaders including Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan, Sunny Joseph and P K Kunhalikutty joined the ministry, while several firsttime ministers were also inducted. The presence of two women and two Scheduled Caste representatives was projected by the leadership as an attempt to balance social, regional and political expectations within the alliance.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, chief ministers from Congress-ruled states and senior leaders from across Kerala’s political spectrum. Former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan was also present, reflecting the formal transfer of power after a fiercely contested election.

The first day’s announcements have given the new government a populist start, but implementation will test its fiscal discipline. Free bus travel will require sustained support for KSRTC, which has long struggled with debt and operational losses. Honorarium hikes will add to recurring expenditure, while the promised expansion of welfare schemes will demand careful budgeting at a time when states are under pressure to balance social spending with capital investment.

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