Thiruvananthapuram: Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is set to take oath as the Governor of Kerala on Thursday at a ceremony scheduled for 10:30 am at Raj Bhavan. The oath will be administered by Kerala High Court Chief Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar.

Arlekar and his wife, Anagha Arlekar, arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday evening. They were received at the airport by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, along with a host of dignitaries, including Ministers K. Rajan, V. Sivankutty, and K.N. Balagopal, Speaker A.N. Shamseer, and MPs Shashi Tharoor and A.A. Rahim.

The Kerala Legislative Assembly will resume sessions on January 17, beginning with the new Governor's policy address. The state cabinet has recommended a three-phase schedule for the assembly:

  • Phase 1: January 17–23
  • Phase 2: February 7–13, featuring the presentation of the state budget.
  • Phase 3: March 3–31, focusing on discussions and the passing of the budget.

The state government aims to pass the full budget before the end of the fiscal year on March 31. Usually there will be a need for a vote on account for initial expenses.