No ministerial berth for Kerala health minister KK Shailaja in new Pinarayi Vijayan govt ; all but CM new faces in the cabinet

Kerala Assembly Election 2021: CPI(M)'s KK Shailaja is leading in Mattannur constituency

The new Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala will not retain any ministers from the previous government, CPI (M) said in a statement on May 18.

The statement was issued after the meeting of CPI (M) state committee which chose Pinarayi Vijayan as parliamentary party leader and Chief Minister.

KK Shailaja Teacher, who was lauded for her exemplary work as health minister during the first wave could not get a cabinet berth in the new government. Shailaja, has instead be chosen as CPI (M) party's whip in the Assembly, according to the statement.

The LDF won 99 seats in the 140 member Assembly in the elections, the results of which were announced on May 2. The CPI(M) won 62 seats and the CPI won 17. CPI is the second largest constituent in the LDF after the CPI(M).

Among 11 CPI (M) leaders who will be ministers, according to the statement, include Vijayan’s son-in-law PA Mohammed Riyas, MV Govindan,  K Radhakrishnan, KN Balagopal, P Rajeev,  VN Vasavan, Saji Cherian, V Sivankutty and V Abdur Rehman in the new cabinet to be sworn on May 20.  Dr R Bindu and Veena George will be the two women ministers in the cabinet from CPI (M)

The CPI(M) will also hold the post of Speaker and the party has chosen  MB Rajesh for the job. The Deputy Speaker will be from the CPI

The Vijayan-led government will be sworn in for the second consecutive term at a function scheduled to be held at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram at 3: 30 pm on May 20 allowing not more than 500 people who have received both doses of the vaccine and have a COVID-19 negative certificate.