Thiruvananthapuram: All ministers in the next Kerala cabinet, barring Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, will be new comers.
This paves the way for the exit of Health Minister K K Shailaja, who had won accolades for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, from the ministry.
Till now, it has been in the realm of speculation. Now it is official that K K Shailaja, the former health minister considered to be the most popular among ministers in the outgoing Cabinet, will not be part of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government. Instead, an official CPM communique said, she would be CPM whip in the Assembly.
Another minister in the outgoing Cabinet, T P Ramakrishnan, has been made the CPM parliamentary party secretary. The decisions were taken at the CPM State Committee held here on Tuesday. With Shailaja not picked, all the new ministers, except the Chief Minister, will be freshers. M B Rajesh will be Speaker.
The new CPM ministers are: M V Govindan, K Radhakrishnan, K N Balagopal, P Rajiv, V N Vasavan, Saji Cherian, V Sivankutty, P A Muhammad Riyas, Dr R Bindu and Veena George.
It was CPM leader Elamaram Kareem who presided over the State Committee meeting that was attended by Pinarayi Vijayan. Politburo members S Ramachandran Pillai, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and M A Baby were also present.
CPI announces freshers as ministers, deputy speaker
The Communist Party of India (CPI) has decided to field new comers as ministers in the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet.
K Rajan, P Prasad, J Chinchu Rani and G R Anil will be the CPI ministers, party state secretary Kanam Rajendran informed.
Chittayam Gopakumar will be the deputy speaker.
Pinarayi to meet Governor today
The CPM parliamentary party would meet at 3:30pm on Tuesday to officially name Pinarayi Vijayan as the chief minister. After a meeting of the LDF parliamentary party at 5pm, Vijayan would meet the Governor with the MLAs’ letter of support.
Here is the full list of probable ministers in Pinarayi cabinet:
