THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KN Balagopal, a CPM state secretariat member and former Rajya Sabha MP, will be entrusted with the responsibility of handling the finance portfolio in the second Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet. With economist TM Thomas Isaac — whose initiative, KIIFB, became the cornerstone of the state's infrastructure push — out of the fray, the CPM wanted an enterprising and hardworking candidate to replace him. The search ended with Balagopal and the state secretariat endorsed the decision on Wednesday.
Second-time MLA from Aranmula Veena George, a journalist-turned-politician and the youngest member of the cabinet, will take over the baton of the health department from KK Shailaja.
Veena's administrative capabilities were on display when she coordinated relief activities in Pathanamthitta, one of the worst-hit districts during the 2018 flood. The CPM state secretariat found that Veena's youth, fast-learning quotient and social skills would make her a health minister who will be rated on a par with Shailaja.
Despite heavy criticism against the home department in his last term, Pinarayi chose to retain it along with vigilance.
Amid changing times and the emergence of the convergence of technologies,the IT department could ideally be an extension of the industries department. Even with a talented leader like P Rajeeve set to helm that particular portfolio, the CPM has not decided to merge IT with industries. Sources hinted the CM would continue to handle IT.
The bifurcation of the education department, done during the previous government to satisfy K T Jaleel who had to vacate the local self-government portfolio in between, had proved impractical and created several administrative issues. However, the department will continue to remain divided — as general education and higher education departments, with different ministers in charge.
Radhakrishnan sidelined despite seniority, experience
The CPM leadership’s move to assign central committee member K Radhakrishnan the devaswom portfolio, in addition to SC/ST welfare, was hailed by party’s cyber army as a historic move considering that upper caste Hindu ministers used to handle the portfolio ever since it was carved out as a full-fledged department in 1996.
However, during the 1970s, Congress nominees from Dalit communities, Vella Eacharan, Damodaran Kalassery and K K Balakrishnan, and during 1980-81, CPM leader M K Krishnan, had handled the devaswom department. Despite all his seniority and experience of having been the speaker and a minister, Radhakrishnan has been sidelined with a low-profile department, alongside the SC/ST welfare department which is conventionally assigned to the Dalit nominee in the cabinet.
Radhakrishnan’s sidelining becomes more conspicuous with the assigning of two heavy weight portfolios — PWD and tourism — to first-time MLA Mohammed Riyas. The national DYFI president, who is also the son-in-law of Pinarayi, even outweighed seniors like Saji Cherian and V N Vasavan in division of portfolios.
Kannur strongman M V Govindan, who ranks second in seniority in the cabinet, will get excise and LSG departments. To accommodate smaller constituents, the CPM gave away the power portfolio and the CPI parted with the forest portfolio.