A 21-member cabinet is expected to be sworn in on May 20 in Kerala. Reports suggest that KK Shailaja, who is the incumbent Health Minister, will be given a second term as a minister from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) while the other MLAs who get chosen as ministers from the party would most likely be new faces. The Chairman of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), A Vijayraghavan, announced the ministerial berths that will be allotted to each ally in the front led by the CPI(M). Of the 21 ministers, 12 will be from the CPI(M) and four will be from the Communist Party of India (CPI).
The LDF won by a sweeping majority in the Assembly elections held in April, the results of which were announced on May 2. The LDF won 99 seats in the 140 member Assembly. The CPI(M) won 62 seats and the CPI won 17. CPI is the second largest constituent in the LDF after the CPI(M). From the CPI(M), PA Muhammed Riyas, V Sivankutty, Veena George, KN Balagopal, VN Vasavan, Saji Cherian, P Rajeev, MB Rajesh, K Radhakrishnan, P Nandakumar, and MV Govindan are some of the party members who could be made ministers.
The CPI(M) will also hold the post of Speaker, while the Deputy Speaker will be from the CPI. The Kerala Congress (M) will also get a ministerial berth and the post of Chief Whip.
In a meeting held on May 17, the LDF decided on the ministerial berths for the allies. Ahammed Devarkovil of the Indian National League (INL) and Antony Raju of the Janathipathya Kerala Congress, reportedly, will become ministers for the first two and half years. Both INL and JKC have won one seat each in the elections. While Ahamed Devarkovil won from Kozhikode south constituency, Antony Raju secured a victory from the Thiruvananthapuram seat. In the second term, these ministerial berths will be given to Ganesh Kumar of Kerala Congress (B) and Kadannappally Ramachandran of Congress (Secular). Ganesh Kumar won from Pathanapuram and Kadannappally won from Kannur seat.
From the KC(M), Roshy Augustine, who won from Idukki, is likely to get a ministerial berth and his party colleague N Jayaraj, MLA-designate of the Kanjirappally constituency, is likely to become the Chief Whip.
A Vijayaraghavan told the media that Chief Minister-designate Pinarayi Vijayan has been entrusted with the task of deciding the portfolio for ministers and that the attempt is to ensure representation to all. The parliamentary party leader of the LDF will be selected on May 18.