Tarun Gogoi, Oommen Chandy sworn in as Chief Ministers

Mangalore Today News Network

Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram, May 8: Congress leaders Tarun Gogoi and Oommen Chandy today took oath as Chief Ministers of Assam and Kerala respectively.

Tarun Gogoi was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Assam for third consecutive term by Governor J B Patnaik.

Gogoi won a thumping majority in the recently concluded Assembly polls with Congress winning 78 of the 126 Assembly seats. Its ally, the Bodoland People’s Front, won 12 seats.

Gogoi, who was unanimously elected Leader of Congress Legislature Party in Assam, was on Tuesday invited by Governor Janaki Ballav Patnaik to take oath as Chief Minister. Other ministers will be chosen later after consultation with the Congress leaders in Delhi.

It was a big day in Kerala as well where the Congress-led UDF government took charge.

Senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy was sworn in as the 21st Chief Minister of Kerala at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram.

Along with Chandy, six floor leaders of the UDF coalition were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor R S Gavai at the lawns of the Raj Bhavan.

The UDF unseated CPM-led LDF by securing a thin majority of 72 seats in the 140-member House after April 13 Assembly polls.

Those sworn in as ministers were P K Kunhalikutty (IUML), K M Mani (Kerala Congress-M), K P Mohanan (SJD), T M Jacob (Kerala Congress-J), K B Ganesh Kumar (Kerala Congress-B) and Shibu Baby John (RSP-B).

The ministry will be expanded on May 23 with the induction nine Congress nominees, three representatives of IUML and one more from Kerala Congress (Mani).

Chandy’s predecessor and CPM veteran V S Achuthanandan, KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala, Union ministers Mullapally Ramachandran and K C Venugopal were among those who attended the ceremony.

A large number of people from different parts of the state turned up to witness the swearing-in.

Chandy became the Chief Minister for the second time after an interim term in 2004-06.

The UDF had on Tuesday wrapped up an agreement with its partners on sharing the ministerial berths and portfolios.