As Kerala prepares for the swearing-in of Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan, talks within the Congress-led UDF coalition focus on allocating ministerial berths in the new cabinet. According to the chief minister-designate’s office, Congress has allocated five Cabinet berths to the IUML, which is the second-largest constituent of the UDF. Other reporting indicates that negotiations are close to being concluded, with sources describing the cabinet formation as being near finalisation ahead of Satheesan’s taking office. News18 reports that Congress is likely to receive 12 seats, alongside the IUML’s five berths, reflecting the distribution being discussed across coalition partners. While specific details beyond these allocations are not fully outlined in the available reports, both sources converge on the fact that IUML’s share is five Cabinet positions and that coalition-level discussions are at an advanced stage. The new cabinet composition is expected to be finalised in line with the seat-sharing understanding among UDF allies in preparation for the swearing-in.