Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday submitted the resignation of the Council of Ministers headed by him to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.
Mr. Vijayan, who reached the State capital early from Dharamadom in Kannur, presided over the last Cabinet meeting of the Ministry, before heading for the Raj Bhavan.
A Raj Bhavan communiqué said the Governor had accepted the resignation and had asked Mr. Vijayan and his Council of Ministers to continue in office till alternate arrangements were made. The 14th Kerala Legislative Assembly formed in May 2016 was also dissolved by the Governor based on the recommendation of the Cabinet, official sources said.
The CPI(M)- led Left Democratic Front (LDF) under Mr. Vijayan had swept the April 6 elections to the 140-member Legislative Assembly, bagging 99 seats. Steps to form the new Ministry will begin with the CPI(M) state Secretariat meeting in the AKG Centre in the capital on Tuesday. The meeting will decide on the number of Ministers of the CPI(M) and of the coalition partners. This will be followed by a meeting of the LDF to decide on Ministers, portfolios and other formalities.
The meeting to select the LDF’s Parliamentary Party Leader is likely to be held online amid the COVID second wave.
Official sources said the General Administration Department and the Public Works Department had been alerted to make arrangements for the swearing-in ceremony. Raj Bhavan Hall is to be the venue for the event due curbs in place.
After the swearing in, the first Cabinet will request the Governor to convene the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly. The first session of Assembly will be held in May following COVID protocol and the Legislature Secretariat has initiated steps for it, sources said.
Before the House meets, the Governor will administer the oath of office to the Pro term Speaker at the Raj Bhavan. The pro tem speaker will, in turn, chair proceedings of the first session when each of the other 139 elected members of the House will take oath as legislators. The pro tem Speaker will also oversee the formal anointment of the new Speaker of the Assembly.
