PremiumHealth Minister KK Shailaja, who was praised for handling the Covid-19 crisis in Kerala, would not be part of the new Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet, which has 11 new faces from CPI (M).
KK Shailaja, known as "Shailaja Teacher", has been dropped as the state health minister in the second Pinarayi Vijayan-led government in Kerala.
KK Shailaja was earlier praised for handling the Nipah virus crisis in Kerala. In September, a UK-based Prospect magazine selected her as the "Top Thinker of the Year 2020".
She had contested the Kerala Assembly polls from the Mattannur constituency and scored 61.97% of votes.
According to reports, those picked for the new cabinet are -- MV Govindan, K Radhakrishnan, KN Balagopal, P Rajeev, VN Vasavan, Saji Cherian, V Sivankutty, Mohd Riyas, Dr R Bindu, Veena George and V Abdul Rahman.
Vijayan elected CPI (M) Parliamentary party leader
CPI(M) veteran Pinarayi Vijayan was elected its Parliamentary party leader today, paving the way for his successive stint as the Chief Minister of Kerala.
The state committee of the Marxist party, which met at its headquarters AKG Centre, elected Vijayan to lead the party, a CPI(M) statement said.
The party state committee, chaired by senior leader Elamaram Kareem, decided to entrust Shailaja with the position of party whip, the statement added.
It has also been decided to appoint a senior party leader and minister in the outgoing ministry, E Chandrasekharan, as its legislature party leader.
The party has also selected MB Rajesh as the Speaker candidate. TP Ramakrishnan has also been appointed as the Parliamentary Party Secretary, the CPI(M) state committee has said.
The second Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala will be sworn in on 20 May at the central stadium here by adhering to coronavirus norms.
The oath-taking ceremony of the new Left government would be a low-key affair with limited invitees in view of the Covid-19 crisis in the state.
Vijayan had scripted history in the 6 April Assembly polls by leading the Left front to a consecutive term, bucking the over four-decade-old trend in the state of the people choosing between Communists and Congress-led governments alternately.
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