Thiruvananthapuram: Veteran CPI-M polit bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan will be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Kerala today. Governor P Sathasivam will also administer the oath of office and secrecy to 18 ministers here at 4 pm.
Most of the ministers to be sworn-in this evening are new faces, the party said.
According to the list of ministers released by CPI-M Kerala State Committee, 9 MLAs are becoming ministers for the first time. There will be 12 minister from CPI-M including Vijayan. While four ministers will be from CPI, three others are from Congress(S), NCP and JD(S).
The ministers are: Thomas Issac, A K Balan and G Sudhakran - who were ministers in the V S Achuthanandan cabinet (2006, 2011), while new faces are E P Jayarajan, K K Shailaja, A C Moideen, Kadakampally Surendran, T P Ramakrishnan, C Raveendranath, J Mercykutty Amma and K T Jaleel (who won as a CPM-backed Independent).
The oath taking ceremony will take place at the Central stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. After the swearing-in, the first cabinet would meet by around 6.30 PM.
CPI(M) General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury and politburo member, Prakash Karat, will attend the swearing-in ceremony.
Yesterday, Vijayan had said that the new CPI(M) Left Democratic Front government in Kerala will be a people's government and will function beyond caste, religious and political barriers.
"This will be a people's government and will function for the welfare of the people. There will be no caste, religious and political barriers and we will function with that spirit. Everyone has the right in this government and society should understand that if people turn their back, democratic process will not be complete. It is the people's cooperation which strengthens democracy," he had said.
CPI(M)-led left Democratic Front (LDF) came back to power in Kerala after five years, winning 91 seats in the 140 member Assembly, while UDF won 47 seats.
For the first time in the history of Kerala Assembly, the Bharatiya Janata Party opened its account winning one seat.
