Shillong, September 15: The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala is set to convene a meeting to discuss a potential cabinet reshuffle, which may involve the reallocation of portfolios among ministers.
In May 2021, when the current government took office, there was an agreement to share cabinet posts among parties with single MLAs.
As part of this arrangement, Antony Raju was appointed as the Transport Minister, and Ahamed Devarkovil assumed the Ports portfolio. According to the agreement, after 30 months in office, these ministers are expected to make way for K.B. Ganesh Kumar (Raju) and veteran Kadanapally Ramachandran (Devarkovil).
As per IANS, sources within the LDF suggest that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is reshuffling the cabinet to honor this agreement and potentially change the portfolios of CPI(M) leaders as well.
While there are no reports of any CPI(M) minister losing their position, there is a possibility of journalist-turned-politician Veena George becoming the Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, making her the first woman to hold this position.
If George becomes the Speaker, the current Speaker A.N. Shamseer is likely to be elevated to a cabinet rank.
Within the CPI(M), there are ten state ministers, and the selection of ministers has faced criticism over their lack of experience. Five of them were first-time MLAs, including key portfolios such as Finance, Industries, Higher Education, Local Self-Government, Public Works, and Tourism.
Sources indicate that major portfolios like Finance, Industries, Transport, Ports, and Public Works are unlikely to undergo changes. However, ministers like V. Sivankutty and V.N. Vasavan, considered close to Vijayan, may be entrusted with greater responsibilities.
The portfolio reallocation doesn’t seem to be problematic, as Ganesh Kumar has expressed his preference to relinquish the Transport portfolio.
The discussion on the reshuffle is expected to begin during the LDF leadership meeting, and the changes are likely to occur in November when Vijayan’s tenure reaches the halfway point.