With the LDF reaching a consensus on having a 19-member Cabinet, the CPI(M) finalised its list of ministers with all secretariat members who contested the elections other than M.M.
With the LDF reaching a consensus on having a 19-member Cabinet, the CPI(M) finalised its list of ministers with all secretariat members who contested the elections other than M.M. Mani being included in the list of ministers.
This was decided at the CPI(M) state secretariat meeting on Sunday. The lists of CPI(M) ministers have to be ratified by the CPI(M) state committee on Monday.
The CPI(M) would have 12 ministers, including chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The LDF meeting, which was also held on the day, decided to give 12 Cabinet berths to the CPI(M), four to the CPI and one each to the Janata Dal(S), NCP and Congress(S). The RSP faction led by Kovoor Kunjumon and Kerala Congress(B) member K.B. Ganeshkumar which has one MLA each will not have a berth in the Cabinet.
Apart from this, the CPI(M) will be given the Speaker’s post while the CPI will take the deputy Speaker’s post.
The portfolios of LDF ministers who would be sworn in on Wednesday will be decided in the morning that day. The LDF meeting decided to avoid extravaganzas during the swearing-in ceremony. It also decided to introduce financial discipline by restricting the number of personal staff to 25 at the maximum.
The CPI(M) ministers are secretariat members E.P. Jayarajan, Dr Thomas Issac, A.K. Balan, K.K. Sailaja, G. Sudhakaran, and T.P. Ramakrishnan, state committee members Kadakampally Suren-dran, J. Mercy Kutty Amma and A.C. Moidneen, three times legislator C. Raveendranath and CPI(M)-backed independent K.T. Jaleel.
