Thiruvananthapuram, Wednesday, May 18, 2011: Senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy was today sworn in as the 21st Chief Minister of Kerala at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, bringing back the UDF rule by a wafer thin majority.

Along with Chandy, P K Kunhalikutty (IUML), K M Mani (KC-M), K P Mohan (SJD), T M Jacob (KC-J), K B Ganesh Kumar (KC-B) and Shibu Baby John (RSP-B), partners of the United Democratic Front, were also sworn in at 2 pm today.

They were administered oath of office and secrecy by Governor RS Gavai at a ceremony to be held at the Raj Bhavan lawns.

Known for his organisational skills and administrative acumen, Oommen Chandy is perceived to be the best bet for Congress to lead the UDF ministry as it commands a wafer-thin majority with 72 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly.

67-year-old Chandy, a key political player of Kerala for long, has played a vital role since 1970s in building the party as a mass force capable of taking on the CPI(M).

A mass leader with a man-next-door image, Chandy scaled the political ladder starting from his school days as an activist of Congress’s student-wing Kerala Students Union.

Chandy’s acceptability and popularity greatly helped the Congress to strike roots among the youth through the politically turbulent 1960s and 70s.

He moved to the central role of the UDF left vacant by late K Karunakaran and A K Antony when he was chosen as chief minister for an interim term in 2004-06.

(News agency)