Thiruvanantapuram, May 19, 2021: CPI (M) veteran Pinarayi Vijayan will take oath as Kerala chief minister at 3 pm tomorrow at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. He was elected the parliamentary party leader on Tuesday and met Governor Arif Mohammed Khan soon after.
The new Kerala state cabinet will have 21 members including the chief minister. This time, the ruling Left Democratic Front has decided to replace all sitting ministers, including health minister KK Shailaja who has won praise for her handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Before taking oath, all CPI(M) ministers will offer prayers at the Martyrs Column in Alappuzha.
Officials say the swearing-in ceremony will take place in strict adherence to Covid-19 protocol. The government said it expects up to 350 people to attend the ceremony.
All attendees will have to mandatorily undergo a Covid-19 test before participating in the event. Entry will be permitted only for those with a Covid-19 negative report.
Meanwhile, the opposition UDF said it will not attend the swearing-in ceremony in-person but will participate through virtual platforms.
Courtesy:India Today