Thiruvananthapuram , 16 May (H.S.): Kerala is set to witness an unusual moment of political consensus as leaders from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) have decided to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan, underlining a departure from conventional political hostility and signalling a more accommodative beginning for the incoming United Democratic Front (UDF) government.
The development comes at a time when Satheesan has been reaching out across political lines following the UDF’s emphatic victory in the Assembly elections. The Chief Minister-designate has held meetings with leaders from different political backgrounds, with his recent interactions being viewed as attempts to create a cooperative political atmosphere and project stability at the beginning of the new administration.
BJP state president and Nemom MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Satheesan had personally contacted him and invited him to the ceremony. Chandrasekhar expressed appreciation for the gesture and said NDA legislators and senior BJP leaders in the state would attend the function and extend their wishes to the incoming government.
The swearing-in ceremony of the new government will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The UDF registered a decisive mandate in the recently concluded Assembly elections, winning 102 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, while the LDF secured 35 seats and the BJP won three seats.
In another notable political development, the LDF also confirmed that it would not boycott the ceremony. CPM state secretary M V Govindan said the Left would adopt the role of a constructive opposition and would support positive measures introduced by the new government while strongly criticising policies it disagreed with.
“We will support what is right and oppose what is wrong,” Govindan said, adding that the Left would not follow what he described as the Congress-led opposition's approach during the formation of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government in 2021.
Since being named Chief Minister-designate, Satheesan has taken several steps viewed as efforts to build political consensus and project inclusiveness. He recently met senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala amid reports of dissatisfaction over the party’s leadership decision, in a move aimed at reinforcing unity within the Congress.
Satheesan also visited former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. The meeting attracted significant attention as both leaders later addressed the media together, with Satheesan indicating that his administration would continue major development initiatives launched by the previous LDF government.
The new Assembly is also expected to witness a significant political reversal, with Satheesan moving from the role of Opposition leader to Chief Minister, while Pinarayi Vijayan is set to assume the role of Leader of the Opposition.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor said he would be away in the United States and would miss the ceremony as he is scheduled to deliver a commencement address at his alma mater in Boston. In a message posted on social media, Tharoor conveyed his regret over missing the occasion and extended his best wishes to the incoming government.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
