Stage has been set for a reshuffle in the Oommen Chandy Cabinet, with the deadlock over the induction of KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala being resolved, even as a final decision on the Home portfolio remained elusive.
Ramesh will be inducted as the Deputy Chief Minister, subject to the ratification by the Congress High Command. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has offered the Revenue portfolio to Ramesh, whereas the latter was keen to garner Home. The attendant proposal is that the CM will take over the Home portfolio from Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan.
A partial breakthrough for the lingering crisis in the two-year-old UDF Government was achieved at the end of a much-awaited dialogue between Chandy and Ramesh at the KPCC office here from 9 pm, which lasted for about half an hour. However, official announcements will be made only after discussions with the Congress High Command within a couple of days.
Discussions on various proposals will be held in the UDF also, before a final nod for the exercise.
“We have discussed all issues. We will solve it,” said Chandy after the talks.
On media queries whether the discussions with the KPCC president was on a happy note, Chandy said it was indeed very cordial.
“Discussions have to take place in the UDF and also at the level of the High Command before arriving at a final decision,” said Ramesh Chennithala. “No final decision has been taken so far. The details of the talks will be apprised to the High Command,” maintained a communique issued by the Chief Minister’s office around midnight.
The discussions were set into motion tonight amid a standoff for nearly 10 days between the two prominent leaders. The deputy chief minister post is a new creation in the state after a long gap.
Thiruvanchoor will be absorbed into another slot in the event of divesting him of the Home portfolio. Speaker G Karthikeyan is expected to take over as KPCC president in place of Ramesh. The names tipped for the Speaker’s post include V D Satheesan or a present minister. Ministers Adoor Prakash and V S Sivakumar are expected to have a change in portfolios.
Ramesh and supporters were keen to bag the deputy chief minister post along with the plum Home portfolio, whereas the ‘A’ group which energises Chandy was willing to grant only Revenue.
The KPCC president has also a liking for the SC-ST Development portfolio, going by the close interactions he was having through the ‘Gandhi Gramam’ programme. UDF convenor P P Thankachan had mediated between Chandy and Ramesh to bring them to the negotiation table.
After the crisis which erupted over the recently aborted induction of Ramesh into the Cabinet, the UDF government was facing its worst-ever crisis.
