THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM leader E P Jayarajan will assume office as the 20th minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet on Tuesday. The LDF meet on Monday issued its nod to the CPM to have one more minister in E P Jayarajan while CPI will get the Chief Whip position with Cabinet rank. LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan announced the Front’s decision to accept the CPM’s proposal. He also told reporters the CPI had not asked for any position, including that of the Chief Whip, in return. The CPI will finalise the Chief Whip by August 20 at its state executive meet.
Jayarajan, who is making a re-entry into the LDF Government Cabinet after he was forced to step down in October, 2016 over nepotism charges, will take the oath before Governor P Sathasivam at the Raj Bhavan at 10 am.
Reports about his re-entry into the Left Government have been in the air ever since the court acquitted him in the nepotism case. Recently, when NCP’s A K Saseendran, who resigned over the sleaze talk row in March 2017, returned as Transport Minister, the demand had gained momentum.
The CPM state committee meet last week had decided to propose Jayarajan’s name for getting LDF’s clearance. CPM has proposed changes in the portfolios held by some CPM ministers when Jayarajan takes over as Industries Minister.
Though CPM claims the rejig has nothing to do with ministers’ performance, it’s evident the reshuffle reflects the poor performance of a few ministers. Education Minister C Raveendranath has ended up losing the Higher Education portfolio to K T Jaleel, whose Local Self-Government portfolio will go to A C Moideen. Though Kerala can have up to 21 ministers as per Central norms, while assuming office the Left Government had decided to limit it to 19. The two-year-old government has already seen a couple of new faces. Meanwhile, the LDF meet has also decided to expand the Left front by including more parties.
MInistership
■ E P Jayarajan will assume office as the 20th minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet
■ He will take the oath before Governor P Sathasivam at the Raj Bhavan at 10 am