FILE: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, KPCC President K Sudhakaran and Opposition leader V D Satheeshan.
At the mid-point of its five-year tenure, the LDF government in Kerala has gone for a minor Cabinet reshuffle with two ministers going out and two coming in. The change was not a surprise as it follows an agreement made after the CPM-led front won an unprecedented second term in 2021.
The pact was meant to ensure Cabinet representation to even those constituents who have a single MLA. Antony Raju of the Democratic Kerala Congress and Ahammad Devarkovil of the Indian National League were made ministers in 2021 with the understanding that they would make way for K B Ganesh Kumar of Kerala Congress (B) and Ramachandran Kadannappally of Congress (S) after two-and-a-half years.
This reshuffle has also added two experienced members to the Cabinet. The lack of experience was deemed one of the biggest drawbacks of the Pinarayi Vijayan government in its second term. With both CPM and CPI choosing to go for fresh faces, the Cabinet that took oath in 2021 was filled with first-time ministers.
The current ministry is a pale shadow of the previous Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet in experience and proficiency. That is evident in the government’s performance in its second term. Financial distress and unresponsive ministers have hurt the government’s image. In an assessment this newspaper carried out with the help of a panel of experts in May 2023, when the government completed two years, most ministers scored low on many of the parameters.
Ganesh Kumar has been a minister twice and is said to have turned around the state-owned public transport company, KSRTC, when he was transport minister in the A K Antony government. This time too he has been entrusted with the transport portfolio and KSRTC is passing through its biggest crisis ever. Ramachandran has also been a minister twice and was in the earlier Pinarayi Vijayan government.
The reshuffle comes at a time the government is battling a serious image crisis. So, instead of keeping the exercise minimal, the chief minister could have gone for some critical changes, at least a substantial overhaul of portfolios, to show that he means business. This government needs a course correction and this was an opportunity. A few more new names and a reshuffle of crucial portfolios could have helped induce some vigour into a dull Cabinet. But, alas, that was not to be.
