In what is seen as a bid to keep the communal and caste equations in his cabinet intact, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has given up the powerful Home Affairs portfolio. Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who held the Revenue portfolio, will be the new Home Minister.
"I have given up the Home portfolio to devote more time for my other duties." Chandy told reporters after an urgently-convened special cabinet meeting.
Interestingly, Chandy's decision came soon after the swearing in of two new ministers -- M Ali of the Muslim League and Anoop Jacob of the Kerala Congress (J) -- both from minority communities. The induction of these two ministers had taken the number of ministers from the minority community to 12 in the 21-member cabinet. The move had caused resentment among Hindu organisations. Chandy's move is seen as an attempt to assuage the feelings of NSS and SNDP - two influential Hindu organisations - ahead of a crucial assembly by-poll in Neyyattinkara.
Besides elevation of Radhakrishnan as Home Minister, Chandy has also allotted important portfolios like Revenue and Health to ministers from the majority community. Adoor Prakash will now handle the key Revenue portfolio while VS Sivakumar will assume charge of the Health Ministry.
The swearing-in ceremony and the cabinet meet soon after were noted by the absence of Power Minister Aryadan Mohammad, a senior Muslim leader from the Congress. Aryadan was reportedly unhappy with the way in which the Congress had conceded to the demand of the Muslim League for a fifth cabinet berth. In an attempt to quell the discontent, Aryadan has now been given additional charge of the Transport portfolio.
The cabinet reshuffle has evoked reactions from various quarters. "With this reshuffle, UDF has lost its political character. It has been reduced to a co-ordination committee of caste and communal organisations," said Leader of the Opposition and CPM leader V S Achuthanandan.
"Allotting ministerial berths on communal lines is not the right thing," opined eminent jurist Justice V R Krishna Iyer. But the UDF has denied the charge. "The cabinet reshuffle was just an exercise to ensure better efficiency in governance," said Home Minister T Radhakrishnan.
However, prominent Hindu organisations like the NSS and the SNDP have already expressed their displeasure over the "disproportionate representation" of the majority community in the cabinet. And many believe this might have an adverse impact for the UDF in the upcoming assembly by-election in Neyyattinkara.