Kerala Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan on Thursday met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and staked a claim to form the government.

"After the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting, met the Governor and staked a claim to form the government," Satheesan said in a Facebook post.  Satheesan was accompanied by KPCC chief Sunny Joseph and AICC in-charge of the state Deepa Dasmunsi.

They met the Governor at the Lok Bhavan after Satheesan was unanimously elected as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP).

The Congress High Command, earlier in the day, announced Satheesan as the Chief Minister of Kerala. The announcement came 11 days after the UDF secured a sweeping victory in the assembly elections.

The UDF won 102 of the total 140 seats, while the Congress party won 63. Apart from Satheesan, senior leader Ramesh Chennithala and AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal were also in the race for the CM post, but the Congress leadership eventually settled on Satheesan.

The Lok Bhavan, in a statement, said that Arlekar handed over the letter of appointment to CM-designate Satheeshan, who presented to the Governor the letters of support from the coalition partners. "Congratulating the CM designate, the Governor conveyed his best wishes," it said.