Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan first met Sita Lakshmi Ammal, an elderly woman, during the devastating floods of 2018, when he was among those helping people who had lost their homes and were forced to move to relief camps.

For Ammal, that difficult time left behind an unexpected memory of kindness.

On Monday, she was among those who attended his swearing-in ceremony in the state capital, quietly returning to a moment that, for her, began in crisis but stayed in gratitude.

According to Ammal, Satheesan is not like a son, but is her son and she only wanted to hold him close once more, as in a old photograph she has with him.

Her wish came true as Satheesan brought her on-stage and she not only got to hold him close but also hugged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi before being led away.

Prior to that, she told a TV channel at the swearing-in venue at the Central Stadium here that Satheesan calls her 'Ammalu Amma' and that she met him first at a rehabilitation camp in Paravur during the 2018 floods.

"He told me not to worry as long as he was alive. He said that clothes, food, water and other facilities would be ensured to everyone. Satheesan is not like a son, he is my son. For him, I am like a mother.

"During his election campaign, I told him if he believes in God, he should move forward with strength and he will become the CM," she said.

She said that she came all the way from Paravur in Ernakulam district to the state capital only to hug him once more, like in the photograph of the two she was carrying.

Later, Satheesan took her on-stage and introduced her to Rahul Gandhi, as per visuals on TV channels.

She hugged both Rahul and Satheesan on the stage before being led away.