THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Growing resentment among party cadre and common people over the exclusion of KK Shailaja from the list of cabinet ministers will subside once the new team of ministers start working meticulously, concluded the CPM state secretariat. Taking note of the hashtag campaign #BringShailajaTeacherBack, in which several pro-Left celebrities including film stars also joined, the leaders said the public resentment was natural when such landmark decisions were taken.
According to sources, the CPM leadership expected more members in the state committee to level criticism against the decision. However, the dissent was only token, hinting that there wouldn’t be an inner party revolt triggered by the decision.
The leadership is cautious about the resentment of the general public as it is a fact that the performance of Shailaja was a major factor that helped the LDF win a second term. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said he viewed the criticism with all due respect. The decision to entrust health portfolio with Veena George is part of the damage-control exercise devised by the CPM.
Veena George’s handling of the flood situation in Pathanamthitta and Covid-19 control activities last year were noticed by Pinarayi and other senior leaders. “She will easily gel with the team and can take over the baton from Shailaja without slowing down the pace of Covid-19 relief activities,” said a CPM leader.
Sources said there was no opposition to the proposal to assign two high-profile portfolios — PWD and Tourism — to newcomer P A Mohamed Riyas. The leadership was unanimous in judging that the campaign against Riyas on social media, citing his relationship with Pinarayi, lacked merit as he had all organisational qualifications to become a minister.
It is learnt that the name of ex-MP K K Ragesh is being actively considered by the state secretariat as the private secretary to the CM. Ragesh’s term in the Rajya Sabha ended last month and the party decided against giving him a second term. The CPM had earlier concluded that the CMO functioned more effectively when M V Jayarajan was the PS in the last term and hence a political leader needed to be back in that chair.
Another decision taken by the state secretariat is to appoint state secretary on leave Kodiyeri Balakrishnan as the chief editor of CPM mouthpiece Deshabhimani. P Rajeeve, who was the chief editor, relinquished the post after being selected to the cabinet.
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