The Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretariat has reportedly finalised the allocation of Cabinet portfolios to Minister-designates in Kerala.
CPI(M) insiders were skittish about revealing the details of portfolio allocation. However, two (LDF) leaders gave the media an inkling of the confabulations behind closed doors at the AKG Centre here on Wednesday.
K. Krishnankutty of the Janata Dal (Secular) said he would get the Power portfolio.
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Indian National League legislator Ahammad Devarkovil said his party had settled for the Ports and Museum, Zoo and Archaeology department.
The responsibilities of the 12 CPI(M) Minister-designates remained largely in the realm of conjecture. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said he would make a statement only after meeting Governor Arif Muhammad Khan on Thursday.
Nevertheless, speculation about future Ministers is rife in the media.
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Notably, Veena George was touted as the successor to former Health Minister K.K. Shailaja.
By some accounts, DYFI national president P.A. Muhammad Riyaz is likely to land the Tourism and Public Works Ministry. He is Mr. Vijayan’s son-in-law. Higher and General Education departments could go to R. Bindu and V. Sivankutty, respectively. Ms. Bindu is the wife of CPI(M) acting secretary A. Vijayaraghavan. Both Minister-designates are former Mayors.
An LDF member said the next government would have a Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe community member as Devaswom Minister, after a hiatus of 40 years. He said M.K. Krishnan of the CPI(M) had last held the post in 1981. By most accounts, the CPI(M) had chosen the party’s Central Committee member K. Radhakrishnan for the post. The former Speaker may also hold the Parliamentary Affairs portfolio.
CPI(M) members mentioned central committee member M.V. Govindan as potential Minister for Excise and Local Bodies. The party had purportedly earmarked CPI(M) State secretariat members K.N. Balagopal and P. Rajeev for Finance and Industries and Law, respectively.
An LDF source said Roshy Augustine of the Kerala Congress (M) could get the Water Resources Ministry. At the same time, Nationalist Congress Party leader A.K. Saseendran has purportedly settled for the Forest department portfolio.
The other names doing the rounds are V.N. Vasavan (Cooperation and Registration), Saji Cherian (Fisheries and Culture) and V. Abdu Rahman (Minority Welfare and Non-Resident Keralite Affairs).