Thiruvananthapuram: Ending days of intense negotiations and uncertainty, the UDF government submitted the portfolio allocation for the new 21-member Cabinet in Kerala to Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Satheesan has retained crucial departments including Finance, Law and Ports, while senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has been given the influential Home and Vigilance portfolios — departments traditionally held by the Chief Minister in Kerala governments. IUML heavyweight P K Kunhalikutty has been allotted the Industries and IT portfolios. AP Anil Kumar was given the Revenue department, and Sunny Joseph was given the Electricity department. Muslim League leader V E Abdul Gafoor received the Fisheries portfolio, sources revealed. The official Gazette notification is awaited.

The announcement came two days after the swearing-in ceremony, amid prolonged discussions within the ruling front over the distribution of key departments, coalition demands and community representation. The portfolio allocation involved internal bargaining within the Congress and the IUML, particularly after strong objections from the Latin Catholic Church to the community's lack of Cabinet representation and the move to hand over the Fisheries portfolio to the IUML.

Ministers and portfolios

1. V D Satheesan – Chief Minister; Finance, Law, Ports
2. Ramesh Chennithala – Home, Vigilance
3. A P Anil Kumar – Revenue
4. Sunny Joseph – Electricity
5. K Muraleedharan – Health and Devaswom
6. P K Kunhalikutty – Industries
7. Mons Joseph – Water Resources
8. Shibu Baby John – Forest
9. Anoop Jacob – Food and Civil Supplies
10. C P John – Transport
11. N Samsudheen –General Education and Minority Welfare
12. P C Vishnunadh – Tourism, Culture and Cinema
13. Roji M John –Higher Education
14. Bindhu Krishna – Labour
15. M Liju –Cooperation and Excise
16. K M Shaji – Local Self-Government
17. P K Basheer – Public Works
18. V E Abdul Gafoor – Fisheries
19. T Siddique – Agriculture
20. K A Thulasi – Backward Communities Development
21. O J Janeesh – Youth Welfare

The portfolio allocation marks the first major political balancing act for the Satheesan government after the UDF’s sweeping victory in the Assembly elections, where the alliance secured 102 of the 140 seats and ended the LDF’s decade-long rule in Kerala.

Beyond administrative considerations, the Cabinet formation also reflected the Congress leadership’s efforts to balance regional representation, caste and community equations, generational change and factional interests within the party, while accommodating coalition partners such as the IUML, Kerala Congress factions, RSP and CMP.