The Chief Minister will decide their portfolios soon and will send his recommendation for the approval of the Governor.
Published Dec 29, 2023 | 7:38 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 29, 2023 | 7:50 PM
KB Ganesh Kumar of Kerala Congress (B) and Ramachandran Kadannappalli of Congress (S).
Ramachandran Kadannappalli of Congress (S) and KB Ganesh Kumar of Kerala Congress (B) took the oath as ministers in Kerala’s CPI(M)-led LDF government, on Friday, 29 December.
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan administered the oath of office to the new ministers in a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan lawns at 4 pm.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his Cabinet colleagues, and leaders of Left alliance partners attended the ceremony.
According to reports, the Chief Minister will decide their portfolios soon and will send his recommendation for the approval of the Governor.
The Congress-led UDF boycotted the ceremony in protest against the induction of Ganesh Kumar, who, according to them, conspired against its late leader and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the solar panel case.
Earlier, the Governor approved the state government’s proposal for the induction of two new ministers into the state Cabinet.
The ruling LDF had announced the 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.
Governor Khan and Chief Minister Vijayan refusing to acknowledge each other’s presence at the oath-taking ceremony revealed the extent of differences between the Raj Bhavan and the ruling CPI(M) in the state in the backdrop of a recent war of words between the two sides.
In the brief five-minute ceremony held at Raj Bhavan lawns, neither Khan nor Vijayan exchanged glances despite being seated side by side.
Following the conclusion of the ceremony, the Governor promptly departed from the venue without extending any greetings to the Chief Minister.
The feud between the two institutions was evident as the Chief Minister and most of his ministerial colleagues chose not to attend the tea party organised at Raj Bhavan post the oath-taking ceremony.
Only Forest Minister AK Saseendran, along with Kumar and Kadanapalli, was present at the gathering, an official source said.
Later, the Raj Bhavan released photos featuring Khan alongside the new ministers and their families.
In recent weeks, the state has witnessed dramatic scenes and verbal clashes between the Governor on one side and the Chief Minister and the CPI(M)-backed SFI on the other.
This discord revolves around the appointments made by Khan to the Senate of some state universities.
Since the Cabinet strength could not exceed 21, the LDF, in 2021, told Kadannappalli and Antony 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.
When the second LDF government assumed power in the state in May 2021, partners in the CPI(M)-led alliance had agreed to allocate Cabinet berths to four single MLA parties on a “sharing the term” basis.
(With PTI inputs)
