KOCHI: For the LDF, the denial of the ticket to TM Thomas Isaac, the finance minister in the outgoing Left government, means a new face will hold the office if the front returns to power. Likewise is the case with the UDF after the 2019 demise of veteran politician K M Mani, who had been a permanent fixture in the front’s finance ministry for the past several terms.The names being discussed for the finance portfolio in the LDF camp are K N Balagopal, P Rajeev and K K Shailaja. In the UDF, after several decades, Congress is expected to take back the portfolio from Kerala Congress. The name being widely discussed is V D Satheesan.
Balagopal, who is an LLM holder, is expected to have an easy outing from the Left bastion of Kottarakkara. As a Rajya Sabha MP in 2010, he had raised several issues related to finance and had participated in Budget debates. His brother K N Harilal, a professor at the Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, is a member of the State Planning Board.
“It remains to be seen if the new LDF government will give the key portfolio to Balagopal, who is relatively a fresh face even though he has been a Rajya Sabha MP,” said Jose Sebastian, an economist and retired associate professor at Thiruvananthapuram-based Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation. He said P Rajeev, who is also a former Rajya Sabha MP and contested from Kalamassery this time, may have a better chance at securing the portfolio.
According to another source, however, Rajeev’s clear-cut views on the education sector makes him a preferred candidate for the education portfolio. The problem faced by Rajeev, however, is that the contest in Kalamassery is not easy. “It’s a neck-and-neck fight there as the constituency is a UDF stronghold,” added the source.
Shailaja, who is expected to win easily from Mattannur, is also a strong contender for the finance portfolio if the Left comes to power again. “For her good work in the health ministry, Shailaja teacher deserves an upgrade in her portfolio. Besides, it will also send out the message that she’s the second in command in the ministry, given the fact that all other senior Communist leaders have been denied a seat this time,” said another source.
Though Jose K Mani, if his KC(M) wins six or more seats, may stake claim for the finance ministry, it is unlikely that the CPM will allow this key portfolio to be handled by a junior partner, the source added.
Meanwhile, if the UDF beats all pre-poll surveys to come to power, V D Satheesan — who is expected to win easily from Paravoor — will be the choice for the finance ministry portfolio, sources said. “He is known for his interest in finance-related issues. I would say he is a strong contender for the position if UDF comes to power,” said K V Joseph, economist and director at Institute of International Migration and Development.
Satheesan had put the LDF government on the defensive on various finance-related issues in the assembly over the past five years. His YouTube channel ‘Dialogue with VDS’, where he interviewed several key economists and businessmen including Isaac, was well-received by netizens.