After days of hectic parleys, Kerala's ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) alliance has decided to induct two new ministers into the cabinet. Manjalamkuzhi Ali of the Muslim League, who recently crossed over from the Left camp and Kerala Congress' Anoop Jacob, who won the recent Piravom bypoll, will be sworn-in as cabinet ministers on Thursday. The decision was taken at a crucial meeting of UDF alliance partners here late on Wednesday.
However, no new portfolio will be allocated to Ali, who will have to share some of the portfolios that are already with the Muslim League. A final decision on portfolios of Ali and Jacob will be taken only after the swearing-in, said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy after the meeting.
The UDF had promised a cabinet berth for Anoop Jacob during the Piravom bypoll -- a move many believe contributed to his outstanding win. Anoop is the son of the late UDF minister TM Jacob, who died in October last year, while in office.
But sources in the UDF told that big brother Congress was forced to concede to its ally Muslim League's demand as a crucial assembly by-election in Neyattinkara is round the corner. There was intense opposition from within the Congress' rank and file to the League's demand for a fifth cabinet berth.
Asked whether the decision amounted to a surrender by the Congress to unreasonable demands of its allies, Chandy said: "There is no surrender in UDF. Neither are any decisions thrust on anyone."
Ever since the Muslim League stepped up its demand for a fifth cabinet berth, there was apprehension within the Congress whether this would alter the 'caste and communal equations' in the cabinet. With this expansion, the number of ministers from minority communities has risen to 12 in the 21-member cabinet.
"Not all decisions taken at all times can be perfect. There are certain political compulsions in a democratic framework," the Chief Minister replied when asked about the caste-communal imbalance in the cabinet.
The UDF also decided to support R Selvaraj, who recently quit as a CPM legislator, in the upcoming assembly by-poll in Neyyatinkara.
No comments:
Post a Comment