Chandy gives up Home portfolio in reshuffle

Thiruvananthapuram - Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has given up the sensitive Home portfolio in a reallocation of portfolios among Congress ministers. The decision was announced after Mr. Manjalamkuzhi Ali of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) Ali and Mr. Anoop Jacob of the Kerala Congress were sworn-in by Governor H. R. Bhardwaj at the Raj Bhavan earlier on Thursday morning.

Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting following the swearing-in, Mr. Chandy said he had reallocated the portfolios after consulting the Congress High Command. Mr Chandy’s decision is seen as a bid to soothe ruffled feathers in the Congress and resentment of the Nair Service Society (NSS). The NSS leadership had, on Wednesday, aired its strong disagreement with the decision to induct Mr. Ali and Mr. Jacob into the Cabinet and also predicted that the impact of the decision would be felt in the upcoming Neyyattinkara Assembly byelections.

As part of the reallocations, the Chief Minister has given the Home portfolio to Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan. He had earlier handed over the Vigilance portfolio to Mr. Radhakrishnan earlier following a court order for continued investigation against Mr Chandy in the palmolein import case. Mr. Radhakrishnan’s Revenue portfolio has been given to Health Minister Adoor Prakash, who has been asked to give up his Health portfolio to Transport Minister V. S.Sivakumar. Party strongman and Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed has been given additional charge of Transport.

Mr. Jacob, who was elected with a convincing margin of over 12,000 votes in the recent Pivarom Assembly byeelction, has been given charge of Food and Civil Supplies, portfolios held by his late father T. M. Jacob. Mr. Ali has been given Urban Affairs and Minority Welfare, portfolios that are already with the Indian Union Muslim League.