Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, leader Pinarayi Vijayan took oath as chief minister of Kerala along with 18 ministers, after a massive victory in the state assembly election in which his coalition—Left Democratic Front (LDF)—promised to “set everything alright”.

Vijayan, 72, and 18 others from the LDF were sworn in by governor P. Sathasivam at a ceremony at Central Stadium in capital Thiruvananthapuram. About 25,000 people attended the function—among them were 96-year-old K.R. Gouri, who has spent most of her political career with CPM, and popular actor Mammootty.

The CPM comes to power in Kerala at a time when the party has lost ground in its one-time bastion West Bengal and been limited to Tripura. With the party considerably weakened in West Bengal, which it ruled for over three decades until 2011, its governance in Kerala will decide the survival of the largest remaining Communist movement in the democratic world.

The LDF won 91 seats in the election, just two short of a two-thirds majority in the 140-member assembly, and way above the 47 won by its main rival United Democratic Front (UDF).

Vijayan himself will handle home, vigilance and information technology portfolios. In its election manifesto, the government had promised to create 2.5 million jobs in the state over the next five years, half of them in the IT sector alone. Thirteen members in Vijayan’s cabinet are first-time ministers and two are women.