Kerala's Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan on Sunday announced a list of 20 MLAs to be sworn in as ministers in the state cabinet, after days of suspense.
The detailed portfolios will be submitted to the Governor and will be published via gazette notification. As part of the United Democratic Front (UDF) alliance, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second-largest ally, has 5 berths.
The ministers will take the oath of office and secrecy on Monday, along with Satheesan.
The list includes PK Kunhalikuty, Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph, K Muraleedharan, Mons Joseph, Shibu Baby John, Anoop Jacob, CP John, AP Anil Kumar, N Shamsudeen, PC Vishnunadh, Roji M John, Bindu Krishna, M Liju, KM Shaji, PK Basheer, Abdul Gafoor, T Siddique, KA Thulasi and OJ Janeesh.
Kunhalikutty, Shamsudeen, Shaji, Basheer and Abdul Gafoor will be the ministers from the IUML quota. One berth has been given to four other allies, including Kerala Congress (Joseph), RSP, and others.
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Expressing disappointment, Satheesan said that despite having 63 MLAs, only 11 Congress MLAs secured positions in the cabinet.
Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Chief Whip
Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan has been picked to serve as Speaker of the Kerala Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will assume the role of the Deputy Speaker. The name for the Chief Whip post has not been decided yet and the final decision on it will be taken by the Kerala Congress party, which has got the position.
Satheesan said, "After 60 years, the entire UDF cabinet is set to take the oath tomorrow at 10 AM. We have completed the entire process within 24 hours, a feat unprecedented in the history of Kerala. This was possible because, even after the elections, Team UDF remains Team UDF. The leaders respect each other. The Congress party will have 11 cabinet ministers. We have 63 MLAs. Consequently, there are many individuals who could not be accommodated in the cabinet, in fact, more eligible than many others who were selected..."
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On being picked by IUML for Kerala cabinet, party MLA Abdul Gafoor said, "The party state president has taken a decision, and the chief minister has announced it. Tomorrow, all ministers will take the oath. The Ministry has been decided... Whatever is given to us, we will do it."
IUML State President Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said, "We have 22 members as MLAs... UDF allowed us that five ministers will be from IUML."