Thiruvananthapuram, Wednesday, May 18, 2011: Senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy is all set to become the Chief Minister of the Kerala for the second time. 67-year-old Chandy was on Sunday unanimously elected by the Congress Legislature Party as its leader, paving the way for his second stint as Chief Minister heading the UDF, which wrested power from LDF by a wafer-thin majority in the April 13 Assembly polls.

Along with Chandy who will lead the UDF government, 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, will also be sworn in at 2.00 pm.

They will be administered oath of office and secrecy by Governor RS Gavai at a ceremony to be held at the Raj Bhavan lawns. The ministry will be expanded later after finalising the list of Congress members to be included in consultation with the party’s central leadership.

UDF captured power in the state pipping the Left Democratic Front (LDF) by a margin of 72-68 in the 140-member Assembly in a photo-finish in the April 13 elections.

(News agency)