Kerala CM to handle Finance, Law portfolios; Fisheries goes to IUML’s Abdul Gafoor

After internal wranglings and shuffling of departments between various Ministers, the newly elected United Democratic Front (UDF) government on Wednesday evening notified the Cabinet portfolios.

Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan will be handling a total of 35 portfolios, including the key departments of Finance, Law, and Ports, signalling a possible concentration of powers.

The portfolio announcements came two days after the swearing-in ceremony of the new government, with delays being attributed to both intra-party as well as inter-party differences within the UDF.

One of the key issues which held up the official notification of the portfolios was with regard to the Fisheries portfolio, which will now be held by V.E. Abdul Gafoor of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).

The Latin Catholic Church was keen on the Congress keeping the Fisheries portfolio. The IUML was ready to part with the department only if the Congress spared the Higher Education department.

Even as the negotiations were ongoing Mr. Satheesan had paid a visit to Thiruvananthapuram Archbishop Thomas J. Netto on Monday. The Chief Minister said that it was merely a courtesy call, when asked about the visit at a press conference on Wednesday. In the end, the exchange of portfolios did not happen as Congress leader Roji M. John kept the Higher Education portfolio.

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who was reluctant to join the Cabinet after losing out in the three-way race to the Chief Minister post, will be holding Home, Vigilance, Fire and Rescue Services, Prisons and Coir.

Sunny Joseph, who was earlier tipped to hold the Revenue portfolio, will now hold Electricity, Environment and Parliamentary Affairs. Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader Shibu Baby John will be holding Forest and Wildlife Protection. While at the Centre, the portfolios of Environment and Forest are held by the same Minister, in Kerala, it has been held by different Ministers in the previous term too.

Revenue for Anil Kumar

A.P. Anil Kumar will hold the key portfolio of Revenue, while K. Muraleedharan will be the Minister for Health as well as Devaswom. The Labour department, which was initially considered for one of the alliance partners, will now be held by Bindhu Krishna, who will also be the Minister for Animal Husbandry.

Earlier at a press conference, Mr. Satheesan had also rubbished reports of delay in finalising the portfolios. He said that the list of portfolios was ready by Monday night after the swearing-in ceremony, but the Governor did not return to the State capital till Tuesday night. The list was handed over to the Governor on Wednesday morning, he said.