The inclusion of Kumar and Kadannappalli in the Cabinet after two and a half years was part of a power-sharing agreement within the LDF.
Published Dec 27, 2023 | 4:09 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 27, 2023 | 4:09 PM
KB Ganesh Kumar of Kerala Congress (B) and Ramachandran Kadannappalli of Congress (S).
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has approved the proposal of the state government for the induction of two new ministers in the state Cabinet.
In a recent Facebook post, the Raj Bhavan said that Ramachandran Kadannappalli of Congress (S) and KB Ganesh Kumar of Kerala Congress (B) would be inducted into the Council of Ministers as per the provisions of Article 164-1 of the Constitution.
Khan has approved the proposal of the Chief Minister in this regard, the post said.
The swearing-in-ceremony of the ministers designate would be held on 29 December at Raj Bhavan, it added.
Earlier, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) had announced a Cabinet reshuffle and said that new ministers would take oath on 29 December.
In the 140-member Assembly, the Kerala Congress (B), Congress (S), Janadhipathya Kerala Congress (JKC), and the Indian National League (INL) are single-MLA parties.
Since the Cabinet strength could not exceed 21, the LDF, in 2021, told Kadannappalli and Antony Raju Raju of the JKC to wait till the completion of the half-term. Kumar and Ahammad Devarkovil were asked to take the oath in 2021.
However, after Kumar’s sister Usha Mohan Das and other family members lodged a written complaint accusing the MLA of financial irregularities, the Chief Minister replaced the actor-politician with Raju.
According to government sources, the reshuffle was planned for the second week of November, when the government completed its half term.
However, it was delayed because of the Nava Kerala Sadas that demanded the presence of all the ministers in the journey across all 140 Assembly constituencies.
The inclusion of Kumar and Kadannappalli in the Cabinet after two and a half years was part of a power-sharing agreement within the LDF.
According to a prevailing agreement among LDF constituents, Kumar would get the Transport department portfolio, while Kadannappalli would hold the Ports portfolio.
Kadannappalli had held the same portfolio in the first Vijayan government. Kumar was the Transport Minister in the AK Antony government between 2001 and 2003.
A prominent Malayalam movie actor and son of the late Kerala Congress (B) supremo R Balakrishna Pillai, Kumar was the Minister for Fin the Oommen Chandy government between 2011 and 2013.
A controversial figure in Kerala politics, Kumar later switched loyalty to the LDF.
LDF convener EP Jayarajan had said on Sunday, 24 December, that Transport Minister Antony Raju of the Democratic Kerala Congress and Ports Minister Ahammad Devarkovil of the Indian National League had tendered their resignations.
Speaking to South First, Raju, who hails from Thiruvananthapuram, said he ably presided over a challenging phase of Kerala’s public transportation and did his best to save the ailing Kerala Road Transport Corporation.
He claimed that the salary dues of the staff had been cleared.
Devarkovil said he was feeling proud of his role in ensuring the implementation of the multi-crore Vizhinjam international trans-shipment port project.
(With PTI inputs)
