Importance of Vizhinjam in Kerala’s political landscape prompts CPM to take over Ports portfolio

Thiruvananthapuram: The increasing importance of the Vizhinjam container terminal in the state’s political landscape may have prompted the CPM to take up the Ports portfolio from its ally.
The CPM wanted the ports department under its control and hence it deputed its state secretariat member V N Vasavan to take up the vital portfolio, and this reflected in the cabinet reshuffle held on Friday.

The ports portfolio was so far held by Indian National League’s (INL) outgoing minister Ahamed Deverkoil, who was replaced with Ramachandran Kadannapalli of the Congress (S), another LDF constituent which got a ministry as per an arrangement agreed upon when the second Pinarayi ministry was sworn in.
But there was no discussion in the CPM state secretariat, in which V N Vasavan also participated, about this reshuffle of portfolios.
The discussions regarding this were held only among the CPM politburo members in Kerala.
As portfolio allocation is the prerogative of the chief minister, a discussion in a party forum was skipped.

Why Vasavan?
Vasavan’s image of an efficient minister who gets things done in a time-bound manner was behind the allocation of the portfolio considered key by the CPM to him, party sources said.
Vasavan had vowed to pass the landmark amendment to implement sweeping changes in the cooperative sector in a year, but it was passed in nine months.

As soon as the portfolio allocation was done, Vasavan summoned Vizhinjam Port Managing Director (MD) Divya S Iyer and other key officials about the progress of the project.
The possibility of using cooperative sector funds for developmental activities may also have weighed in while picking Vasavan, who also holds the cooperation minister’s charge, to handle the portfolio.

When the state had sought Hudco funds for Vizhinjam port recently, an idea was floated to form a  consortium of cooperatives.
Such funds were earlier allocated for Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) and Goshree bridges.

Ganesh’s case
K B Ganesh Kumar had sought the portfolio of cinema, but the line of thinking in the LDF was that it was inappropriate.
There was no circumstance to take off the portfolio from Saji Cherian as of now. The decision to hand over Vasavan’s registration portfolio to Kadannappalli was aimed at avoiding any portfolio changes from other ministers.

Governor’s stand
The CPM also did not expect the ceremony’s host, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, to adopt a tough posture following his stand-off with the state government.
The CPM’s calculation was that since the ceremony was being held at the Raj Bhajan, the Governor may not adopt a tough posture.
That was not the case, though.
The CM did not attend the high tea following the ceremony as the Governor did not bother to personally invite Pinarayi. Other ministers also had to follow suit.