THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the swearing-in of the new cabinet scheduled on Monday, all eyes are now on the list of MLAs who will make it to the top list. Thiruvananthapuram, the political boiling pot of the state, is likely to have multiple ministers, including from the Congress and other UDF constituents.
Senior Congress leader and Vattiyoorkavu MLA K Muraleedharan and CMP general secretary C P John, who won from Thiruvananthapuram Central, are sure to make it to the cabinet.
Senior leader and ex-minister N Sakthan, who won from Neyyattinkara and three-time Kovalam MLA M Vincent too could be considered.
With the front having seven of 14 MLAs in the district, striking the right balance of alliance partners and community equations, UDF is likely to post only senior leaders. However, the scenario is not unchangeable, as K C Venugopal’s aides have a higher representation among the MLAs.
K Muraleedharan is expected to run a top portfolio like finance or health. Formerly served as the power minister for a brief period of three months in 2004, he has been a Lok Sabha MP thrice and an MLA twice. Muraleedharan was also the KPCC president from 2001 to 2004 and made his third assembly win this time, again from Vattiyoorkavu.
The CMP being one of the important UDF alliance partners, its Thiruvananthapuram Central MLA C P John is also highly expected to get a key post in the cabinet.
In a possible representation of the Nadar community, Neyyattinkara MLA and Thiruvananthapuram DCC president N Sakthan also has chances to reach the top brass. Formerly the transport minister in the first Oommen Chandy ministry from 2004 to 2006, he is likely to seek the same portfolio this time. Sakthan has served as Deputy Speaker and later Speaker during the Oommen Chandy government from 2011-16.
M Vincent, who won consecutively for the third time from Kovalam, is also a potential ministerial candidate. The other three MLAs -- Ramya Haridas (Chirayinkeezhu), Sudheersha Palode (Vamanapuram) and M R Baiju (Kattakkada) -- being relatively freshers, are not likely to be included.
