Thiruvananthapuram: After a 10-year hiatus, a 20-member UDF ministry headed by chief minister V D Satheesan was sworn in on Monday amid applause and cheers from a sea of people who gathered at Central Stadium here nearly two hours ahead of the 10am ceremony.By 8am, the roads leading to the stadium and the nearby State Secretariat had traded their usual weekday rush for the bustle of a carnival. A steady stream of people dressed in white — party workers, families and supporters waving flags — flowed towards the venue, eager to secure seats at the vast pavilion before the grand stage and in the gallery despite the rising morning heat.Traffic slowed to a crawl along arterial stretches at Vazhuthacaud, Bakery Junction, Palayam and Thampanoor as police enforced restrictions to manage the swelling crowd. Later, the vehicular movement came to a near standstill for close to two hours.By 10am, the stadium was packed, with people occupying every available space and many gathering in front of giant screens relaying the ceremony live. Though separate gates and barricaded pathways were arranged to channel visitors towards the pavilion and VIP enclosure, crowd control became difficult as large numbers poured in, ignoring pass requirements and designated entry points.With seats filling up from as early as 7am, latecomers surged towards the stage area, at times creating near-stampede situations. Police personnel struggled to regulate the crowd as more people continued to enter the venue.A thunderous cheer erupted when governor Rajendra Arlekar administered the oath of office to Satheesan at 10.17am. He was followed by P K Kunhalikutty, Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph, K Muraleedharan and other cabinet colleagues. K A Thulasi was the last to take the oath.Soon after the ceremony, Satheesan received greetings from scores of well-wishers, but two of them stood out — nine-year-old Vinodini from Pallassana in Palakkad and Ammalu Amma, a senior citizen from Paravur.Vinodini presented Satheesan with a bouquet. He had arranged an artificial limb for her after she lost her hand in an alleged case of medical negligence. Ammalu Amma, who received assistance from him during the floods, walked up to the stage and embraced the new chief minister. Satheesan also introduced her to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.Among those present at the ceremony were Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy, IUML leader Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and several religious leaders.
