Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretariat is meeting here on Tuesday to finalise the party's picks for the Cabinet posts .
The CPI(M) has staked a claim for 12 Ministerial berths.
The Polit Bureau will confer via videoconference before the secretariat convenes. The party leadership will submit its choices to the State Committee for final approval.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will have a decisive say in Cabinet formation.
The next Left Democratic Front (LDF) government faces the demanding task of suppressing the COVID-19 pandemic, rebuilding the flailing economy, tackling unemployment, revitalising traditional sectors, attracting private investment, building infrastructure, creating a knowledge-based economy and building health care capacity, among other policy goals.
It also had to reset the strained Centre-State relationship and ensure more fiscal and political federalism in future transactions.
Generational shift
The CPI(M) had signalled a generational shift by withdrawing many high-profile leaders, including Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, Industries Minister E. P. Jayarajan and PWD Minister G. Sudhakaran, from the electoral arena. Its 62 member parliamentary party is populated with new faces.
The CPI(M) wanted a fresh crop of party workers to gain legislative experience and gain leadership stature. Party's acting State secretary A. Vijayaraghavan had dropped a strong hint that the CPI(M) might follow a similar template for selecting Ministers.
The new government would reflect a mix of experience and youth. It would draw its Ministers from a diverse cross-section of society, he had said. The CPI(M) would also retain the Speaker's post.
Consultations at the AKG Centre had prompted widespread speculation about the makeup of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government. Media opinion was divided on whether Health Minister K. K. Shailaja would retain her Cabinet post.
Some quarters said CPI(M) central committee members M.V. Govindan and former Speaker K. Radhakrishnan would get key portfolios. The other names touted on the grapevine as potential Ministers are K.N. Balagopal and P. Rajeeve, both CPI(M) State secretariat members, M.B. Rajesh, DYFI national president Muhammad Riyaz, V. N. Vasavan, Veena George and V. Sivankutty, among others.
Mr. Vijayan had said that speculation about Cabinet formation would end on Tuesday. CPI(M) State committee was likely to make an announcement later in the day.
Communist Party of India (CPI) will keep four Cabinet posts and the Deputy Speaker's office. Its State council is meeting here on Tuesday to decide its nominees to the Cabinet. The CPI is reportedly considering K. Rajan, P. Prasad, E. K. Vijayan, P. S. Supal, G. R. Anil and Chinchu Rani for important posts.
NCP chief coming
National general secretary of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Praful Patel is scheduled to arrive in the State capital for intra-party discussions. The NCP has two MLAs. They are former Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran and Thomas. K. Thomas. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has assigned the NCP one Cabinet post. Only one of the leaders would make the cut.
The Kerala Congress (M) was likely to nominate Roshy Augustine, its legislative party leader, to the Cabinet. KC(M) legislator N. Devaraj might get the Chief Whip's post.
The LDF had urged the Indian National League (INL), the Congress (S), the Kerala Congress (B) and the Democratic Kerala Congress (DKC) to hold a Cabinet rank for 2.5 years and concede the remaining term to another single-member ally.
The calculus triggered speculation that DKC MLA Antony Raju, who hails from the Latin Catholic Community, a critical demographic in Kerala, and INL legislator Ahammad Devarkovil would serve the first term and step down in favour of KC(B) legislator K. B. Ganesh Kumar and Congress (S) leader Kadanapally Ramachandran. The LJD with a single member might have to settle for a board or corporation.
