MALAPPURAM: After two days of intense deliberations, the IUML has reportedly ceded the Higher Education portfolio to the Congress while retaining General Education. Despite pushing to reunify both sectors under a single ministry — as in the 2011 UDF government — the party is said to have relented under Congress pressure. In return, the IUML secured the Fisheries portfolio.
The decision has triggered discontent within the League, with sections of the leadership keen to reopen talks and reclaim the department.
“It is almost certain that Higher Education has gone to the Congress. But we do not see this as an acceptable arrangement. In the 2011 UDF government, Education functioned as a unified department. That was our demand this time as well. We expect the IUML top leadership to hold further discussions with the UDF leadership to merge both portfolios,” a senior IUML leader told TNIE.
Ending days of speculation, IUML president Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal on Sunday announced the party’s ministerial picks in Thiruvananthapuram after the parliamentary party meeting. Besides senior leader P K Kunhalikutty, K M Shaji, P K Basheer, N Shamsudheen and V E Abdul Gafoor would find a place in the cabinet. Thangal also announced that Kuttiadi MLA Parakkal Abdulla would join the cabinet after two-and-a-half years under a rotational arrangement.
Kunhalikutty is expected to retain the Industries, IT and Hajj portfolios. Shaji is likely to handle LSG, Basheer PWD, Shamsudheen General Education, and Abdul Gafoor Fisheries. However, the party has not yet decided which minister will step down after two-and-a-half years to accommodate Parakkal Abdulla.
This marks the first time the League has adopted a rotational formula in ministerial appointments. The party’s core committee had reportedly decided to limit the cabinet representation from Malappuram district to two ministers, effectively accommodating only Kunhalikutty and Shaji.
With regional balance becoming a key factor, Parakkal Abdulla from Kozhikode was initially considered for a cabinet berth. Abdul Gafoor, a first-time MLA from Kalamassery, was also elevated in what the party sees as a strategic move to strengthen its presence in southern Kerala.
However, the move triggered intense internal resistance. Senior leader Basheer was initially left out, sparking an overnight social media campaign by supporters demanding his inclusion. Backed by pressure from influential leaders within the party, the campaign eventually forced the leadership to reinstate him in the cabinet lineup.
At the same time, sections of party workers and supporters openly questioned the elevation of first-time MLA Abdul Gafoor to the ministry. Despite the backlash, Abdul Gafoor retained his berth, while Basheer’s return came at the expense of Parakkal Abdulla, who was dropped from the final list.