Kerala CM VD Satheesan, 20 ministers to take oath today, portfolio talks on

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief minister-designate V D Satheesan on Sunday evening unveiled a 21-member UDF cabinet ahead of Monday's swearing-in ceremony. Of the 21 ministers, 14 — including Satheesan himself — are first-timers. The ministry also includes two women and two members from the Scheduled Caste community.Announcing the cabinet after submitting the list of ministers to Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Satheesan said the entire UDF ministry would be sworn in together, marking the first time in nearly six decades that a full UDF cabinet will take oath simultaneously.Also read: Satheesan pips Venugopal to Kerala CM post - Does it signal power shift within Congress?Congress secured 11 ministerial berths besides the chief minister's post, while Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has been allotted five positions. Kerala Congress (Joseph), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Kerala Congress (Jacob) and Communist Marxist Party (CMP) have got one berth each.Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph, K Muraleedharan, A P Anilkumar, P C Vishnunadh, Bindhu Krishna, M Lijju, T Siddique, Roji M John, K A Thulasi and O J Janeesh are the Congress ministers. IUML nominees are P K Kunhalikutty, K M Shaji, N Shamsudheen, P K Basheer and V E Abdul Gafoor. Mons Joseph (KC-Joseph), Anoop Jacob (KC-Jacob), Shibu Baby John (RSP) and C P John (CMP) are the other ministers.Also read: Who is VD Satheesan? Kerala’s new CM & grassroots Congress leader who led the UDF’s comebackSatheesan also announced that Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan would be the Speaker and Shanimol Usman the Deputy Speaker. Defending the final composition, he said only 11 ministerial positions were available for Congress despite the party having 63 MLAs. Social and regional balance, along with women and Dalit representation, were key factors in finalising the list, he said.Sources, however, indicated that nominees backed by K C Venugopal secured a significant presence in the ministry and also gained prominence in the allocation of portfolios. The development reportedly left several MLAs aligned with Satheesan outside the cabinet, while some of his preferences in portfolio distribution also did not materialise.The induction of Janeesh and Thulasi emerged as surprises. Shanimol Usman, Anwar Sadath, V T Balram and Chandy Oommen were reportedly considered until the final stages, but they failed to secure cabinet positions.Portfolio discussions continued late into Sunday. According to indications, Satheesan is likely to retain Finance, Law and Ports, while Home and Vigilance may go to Chennithala. Revenue is expected to be handled by Sunny Joseph, Power by Anilkumar, Tourism and Culture by Vishnunadh, Excise and Cooperation by Lijju, Women and Child Development by Bindhu Krishna, Forest by Siddique, Backward Class Development by Thulasi and Sports and Youth Affairs by Janeesh. The portfolio for Roji remained undecided till late evening.Sources said Muraleedharan, who was reportedly offered the Power portfolio at one stage, was eventually assigned Health and Devaswom after further discussions. He was initially assured the Health portfolio, but it was later withdrawn following pressure from the camp led by Venugopal. Muraleedharan reportedly protested the move and even threatened to skip the swearing-in ceremony.The portfolios for allies are also undecided. Kerala Congress (Joseph) had sought two cabinet berths while the Congress leadership reportedly persuaded it to settle for one ministerial position and the chief whip post. The party appointed Apu John Joseph as the chief whip late in the night, while Mons Joseph is expected to get Water Resources and Irrigation. Congress has also asked Anoop Jacob to share the cabinet berth with Mani C Kappan on a term basis, on which a final decision had not been taken. Discussions are continuing on the portfolios of Shibu Baby John and Anoop. C P John is likely to be allotted Transport, while Anoop is understood to have sought Food and Civil Supplies. Shibu Baby John has reportedly staked claim for Water Resources and Irrigation, a portfolio expected to be handled by Mons Joseph.