Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s mention of caste surname during oath-taking draws criticism from Congress leader

Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s mention of his caste surname while taking office on Monday (May 18, 2026) has drawn criticism, including from within his own party with Congress leader Jinto John saying it is better for the Congress to drop caste names to be more inclusive.

An old video in which Mr. Satheesan was sworn in as an MLA without mentioning the caste name also started doing rounds on social media platforms.

The Chief Minister began his oath with the line “I, Vadassery Damodara Menon Satheesan…”, while an old video of him taking the oath as an Assembly MLA showed him beginning the oath with the line “I, VD Satheesan…” The mention of caste surname in the Chief Minister’s oath became the subject of a previous social media swearing-in that was not part of the social media oath. platform on Monday.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Mr John wrote that he would not refer to himself as ‘Thekkumkattil John Roman Catholic Jinto’ and that ‘Jinto John’ would do. “Isn’t that the beauty of it? Even if it doesn’t sound impressive enough, a Congress that doesn’t carry the baggage of caste is much more inclusive. My politics are also my beliefs. Probably a slightly left-wing Congress belief,” he wrote.

However, Congress President BRM Shafeer, defending the Chief Minister, said that Mr. Satheesan’s full name in his official certificates and affidavits was Vadassery Damodara Menon Satheesan, though the media referred to him as VD Satheesan.

Published – 19 May 2026 20:00 IST