Those sworn in included 82-year-old Mrs K.R. Gouri (Janadhipatya Samrakshana Samiti), Mr K.M. Mani (Kerala Congress-M), Mr M.V. Raghavan (Communist Marxist Party), Mr P.K. Kunhalikutty (IUML), Mr T.M. Jacob (Kerala Congress-J), Mr Babu Divakaran (RSP-B) and Mr K.B. Ganesh Kumar (Kerala Congress-B).

Prominent among those who attended the 30-minute swearing-in ceremony on the Raj Bhavan lawns included senior Congress leader K. Karunakaran and Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, besides the AICC observers Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mr Motilal Vora.

Except Mr Ganesh Kumar, all others who were sworn in today are leaders of the legislature groups of the political parties which constitute the eight-party Congress-led coalition.

Though Mr R. Balakrishna Pillai was elected the legislature group leader of the Kerala Congress (B), he named his son Ganesh to fill his party’s lone ministerial berth in the ministry. Mr Pillai opted out in view of the convictions in two corruption cases pending against him before appellate courts.

The Antony Cabinet is expected to have 19 ministers. Eleven more ministers are likely to be inducted soon. The Kerala Congress (B), Kerala Congress (Jacob), RSP (B) and the Janatipatiya Samrakshana Samiti will not have any more ministers other than those sworn in today.

This is for the first time that Mr Antony has become Chief Minister after winning an election. On the previous two occasions, he headed the state when he was not a member of the House. The Congress leader had contested the elections within six months after becoming the Chief Minister in 1977 and in 1995.

Mr Antony was the Chief Minister between April 4, 1977, and October 29, 1978, and between March 22, 1995 and May 20, 1996, serving a total of 975 days in his two terms.

Meanwhile, the fractured right hand forced Kerala Minister T.M. Jacob to affix his thumb impression to assume charge after being sworn in, making him the first minister in the literate state to do so.

The UDF ministry, which was sworn in today, got down to business with the maiden Cabinet meeting deciding to follow austerity and strict financial discipline with ministers setting an example.

“The top priority of the government is to resolve the acute fiscal crisis gripping the state and it will strictly adhere to austerity measures in all areas with the cabinet members themselves setting an example,” Antony told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.