Pinarayi Vijayan, Left Democratic Front (LDF)’s Chief Minister designate, will hold the Home and Vigilance portfolios.
According to LDF sources, CPI(M) Central committee member E.P. Jayarajan will be in charge of Industries and T.M. Thomas Isaac will hold Finance. G. Sudhakaran will be in charge of Public Works; A.K. Balan, Local Self-Government; K.K. Shylaja, Health and Family Welfare; C. Ravindranath, Education; Kadakampally Surendran, Power; T.P. Ramakrishnan. Excise; J. Mercykutty Amma, Fisheries, Ports and Labour; A.C. Moideen, Cooperation; and K.T. Jaleel, Tourism and Minority Affairs. M.M. Mani will be CPI(M) Whip and also LDF’s common Whip.
The CPI is also understood to have arrived at a general understanding on the portfolio that its nominees in the Cabinet will get to handle. Thus E. Chandrasekharan will be in charge of Revenue; V.S. Sunil Kumar, Agriculture and Allied Services; P. Thilothaman, Food and Civil Supplies; and K. Raju, Forest and Wildlife. The CPI is also toying with the idea of seeking an additional portfolio from the two that used to be held by RSP and Kerala Congress (Joseph) when they were in the LDF.
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If the CPI(M) decides to retain the Public Works portfolio, which it had taken over after the exit of KC(J) from the alliance, the CPI might press for the Water Resources portfolio that the RSP used to handle.
A formal decision on the portfolios would be available by Tuesday or Wednesday.
There is still no clarity on the nominees of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Janata Dal (Secular). The leadership of the two parties are expected to communicate to the LDF leadership their decision on who among their MLAs should be made members of the LDF Cabinet.
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