IUML announces names of four ministers

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Kerala virtually snatched the chief ministerial prerogative from Oommen Chandy on Sunday when it announced its list of ministers and their portfolios. The party also unilaterally increased its quota and declared ministerial berth for Manjilalkuzhi Ali.

The initial agreement was that the IUML will have four ministers in the coalition government. If Ali is added, the League will have five ministers.

While announcing the names of its ministerial candidates and their portfolios here on Sunday, the party's state unit chief Panakkad Syid Hyderali Thangal said that Ali, the MLA from Perinthalmanna, will be sworn in later. He will hold the charge of the parliamentary affairs ministry.

The IUML, which has a strength of 20 in the new Kerala assembly, had initially agreed to a quota of four ministers in a Cabinet whose total strength was pegged at 20. With the League now staking claim to a fifth slot, the strength of the ministry will now become 21. IUML leader PK Kunhalikutty was sworn in as a minister alongwith Chandy on May 18.

The other ministers from the party's contingent will include former minister MK Muneer, VK Ibrahim Kunju and PK Abdu Rabb. The newly-appointed UDF ministry will be expanded on Monday with the inclusion of nine nominees from the Congress and one from the Kerala Congress (Mani). Chandy and six ministers were sworn in on May 18.

Meanwhile, resentment is brewing up among the Nadars and Dheevaras, the two important communities, for the denial of ministerial berths to any of their candidates in the Chandy Government .

The Congress had announced the names of its nine ministerial nominees on Saturday, which included its lone woman MLA P K Vijayalakshmi, who contested the polls as a nominee of AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi. Others in the Congress list are former ministers Aryadan Muhammad, Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan, Adoor Prakash and A P Anil Kumar.

Congress MLAs K C Joseph, K Babu, C N Balakrishnan and V S Sivakumar will become ministers for the first time.