Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan on Sunday unveiled a 20-member cabinet ahead of the swearing-in of the new government and it comprises experienced leaders and 14 first-time ministers, including two women and as many from the Scheduled Caste community.
Allies, including IUML were accommodated in the Congress-led UDF cabinet, which will take oath tomorrow.
Addressing a press conference after submitting the list of ministers to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Lok Bhavan, Satheesan said the names were finalised after discussions among alliance leaders, taking into account social and regional balance within the coalition.
As many as 14 members of the cabinet are new faces.
The ministers announced include senior Congress leaders and former ministers Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan, and A P Anil Kumar, besides KPCC chief Sunny Joseph. Chennithala, incidentally, was in the CM race before AICC picked Satheesan.
Senior IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty, RSP leader Shibu Baby John, Kerala Congress leader Mons Joseph, and Kerala Congress (Jacob) leader Anoop Jacob will also be ministers.
All of them have served as ministers in the previous UDF government.
The new faces in the cabinet are C P John and IUML leaders N Shamsuddin, K M Shaji, P K Basheer, and V E Abdul Gafoor.
Congress leaders P C Vishnunadh, Roji M John, Bindu Krishna, T Siddique, K A Thulasi, and O J Janeesh are also among the first-timers.
The UDF has also decided to appoint senior legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as Speaker of the Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will serve as Deputy Speaker.
Later, Satheesan’s office informed that Apu John Joseph, son of Kerala Congress chairman PJ Joseph, elected from Thodupuzha, will be the Chief Whip.
Satheesan said several deserving leaders could not be accommodated in the cabinet despite the Congress securing 63 seats, calling it one of the party’s biggest victories in the state.
"Let new faces come. There should be opportunity for all," he said.
When asked about the exclusion of some prominent names, he said there could be others who were equally or more deserving.
"However, when a party like Congress makes decisions, factors such as social and regional balance have to be considered. We have 63 MLAs after a historic victory, but could accommodate only 11 in the cabinet,” he said.
Regarding portfolio allocation, he said it was almost finalised and would be discussed further with alliance partners.
"Usually, portfolio details are submitted to the Governor after the swearing-in ceremony. We will submit them on Monday. After the Governor’s approval, it will be published as a gazette notification," he said.
He added that there was an understanding with alliance partners on portfolio sharing, and further discussions would be held.
Satheesan said senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and several chief ministers, are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
He added that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay has not confirmed his participation and may attend later.
He also said former Chief Minister and CPI (M) veteran Pinarayi Vijayan, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam, and IUML leaders are expected to attend.
He noted that while the previous cabinet had no SC ministers, the new cabinet includes two.
"In recent Congress history in Kerala, there have been only two women ministers, and a woman has also been selected for the Deputy Speaker post," he said.
On cabinet decisions, he said announcements would be made soon after the first meeting. "Whatever we promised will be implemented. We have come here to realise the aspirations of the people," he said.
Denying factional considerations, he said no Congress leader tried to influence the selection of ministers.
"What group is there in the list? No Congress leader influenced any person. The first list was prepared in just 10 minutes. Later discussions were held considering various factors,” he said.
He added that the cabinet list was prepared on Saturday evening and submitted to the governor on Sunday evening.
"It was possible due to cooperation within the Congress and alliance partners," he said.
Satheesan also denied differences with Kerala Congress (J) leader P J Joseph over cabinet allocation.
He added that representatives of the Sivagiri Mutt did not submit any list during their meeting earlier in the day.
The United Democratic Forum has won 102 of the 140 Assembly seats, with the Congress accounting for 63 MLAs.
Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan on Sunday described himself as a “Nehruvian socialist” and said that reducing public inconvenience was a key reason behind his decision to maintain a smaller security convoy.
He made the remarks after announcing the names of 20 Cabinet ministers who will be sworn in along with him on Monday.
Responding to a question on avoiding a large CM’s convoy, Satheesan said he had asked the police to limit the escort, though certain security protocols could not be avoided.
“I want only a three-vehicle escort. Earlier, there used to be convoys of around 30 vehicles, including an ambulance. But I am not blaming any CM. It is part of the Z-plus security category provided to the chief minister, which is also monitored by the union government,” he said.
He said his perspective was shaped by the experience of the common man.
“If I think from the perspective of someone witnessing a convoy of 30 to 40 vehicles on the road, I would feel agitated. If I were made to wait for half an hour or an hour for such a convoy to pass, how would it feel? That is why I do not want a large convoy,” he said.
Satheesan added that his decision also came from imagining himself stuck on the road during an emergency because of VIP movement.
“It is not about projecting myself as simple or humble,” he said.
Recalling a visit to Melbourne, he said he was struck by the sight of a defence minister and his family driving themselves to a shopping mall without heavy security.
“I was astonished to see it. I hope there will be a time when such a situation is possible in Kerala as well,” he said.
He noted that factors such as strikes and roadblocks in the state also affect the movement of chief ministers and ministers.
“I will not say that my predecessors did anything wrong by using more vehicles. They reached their positions after going through difficult circumstances. I am not blaming Pinarayi Vijayan,” he said.
He added that different chief ministers have different styles and circumstances.
Satheesan said he is open to criticism and willing to correct himself if feedback has merit.
“I believe the media should act as a corrective force. I know there will be criticism when tough decisions are taken for the good of the state,” he said.
He sought the cooperation of the media as the UDF government aims to usher in a new phase of governance in Kerala.
“I am a Nehruvian socialist,” he said, recalling Jawaharlal Nehru’s association with legendary cartoonist Shankar.
He acknowledged that shortcomings may arise but said they can be corrected.
After the interaction, Satheesan took selfies with journalists and photojournalists before leaving the venue.
Thiruvananthapuram | The IUML, a key ally of the Congress, on Sunday announced its list of ministers for the new Kerala Cabinet headed by V D Satheesan.
Party supremo Panakkad Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal said five leaders had been chosen to take up ministerial responsibilities in the new government.
The names announced were P K Kunhalikutty, N Shamsuddin, K M Shaji, P K Basheer, and V E Abdul Gafoor.
The announcement was made by Thangal at a press conference.
He said the decision had been taken after internal discussions and in accordance with the coalition’s power-sharing agreement.
