Thiruvananthapuram, May 17 (IANS) A day before his swearing-in as the 13th Chief Minister of Kerala, Congress leader V.D. Satheesan on Sunday met eminent Cardinal Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis, also known as Cleemis Bava.

The Cardinal currently serves as the Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and the Major Archbishop of Trivandrum.

In a post on X, Satheesan said: “Received the blessings and warm wishes of #MarClimisBava ahead of assuming office as the Chief Minister of #Kerala tomorrow.”

The Congress leader said that Cardinal Cleemis Bava’s words of faith and goodwill are a “source of great strength and encouragement”.

“With a sense of divine responsibility, I remain committed to ensuring inclusive governance, respecting all communities, and prioritising the development and progress of Kerala.”

Meanwhile, with the new Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government’s oath-taking scheduled for Monday, the final round of discussions over cabinet formation is set to conclude on Sunday.

The final list of ministers is expected to be submitted to the Governor around 2 p.m., while intensive consultations among alliance partners and leadership have been continuing since morning.

Congress representative and Kerala in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi confirmed that discussions are progressing and that a final decision on the composition of the ministry is expected later in the day.

The new administration will assume office with a 21-member cabinet, including the Chief Minister, the maximum allowed in the state.

Political sources indicate that the Congress is likely to secure 11 ministerial positions, including the Chief Minister’s post.

While broad agreement has reportedly been reached on several Congress nominees, discussions with alliance partners regarding their ministerial representation are still underway. Among the names understood to be almost finalised from the Congress camp are senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, who is expected to take charge of the Home portfolio, along with state party chief Sunny Joseph, K. Muraleedharan, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, A.P. Anil Kumar, P.C. Vishnunath, M. Liju, Chandy Oommen, and Bindu Krishna.

–IANS

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