Even a day after the VD Satheesan government was sworn in, disputes over ministerial portfolios continued while the UDF government faces its first major test of consensus on portfolios.
The dispute escalated after ministers AP Anil Kumar and K Muraleedharan refused to back down from their claims for the health and devaswom departments. It is learnt that the high command intervened to prevent the discontent from turning into an open confrontation. UDF sources said the government has not yet sent the list of ministerial portfolios to the Lok Bhavan. An official said that a notification in this regard can be issued only after the Governor’s office receives the list.
Congress sources say that during initial discussions between CM Satheesan and the KPCC leadership regarding the division of portfolios, they decided to give the Health and Devaswom portfolios to Anil Kumar, who served as a minister in the last two UDF governments. However, sources close to Anil Kumar said that problems worsened when the chief minister supported K Muraleedharan for these two portfolios during the final round of discussion. Muraleedharan was one of the few MLAs who openly supported Satheesan for the chief minister’s post.
There is also ire over Muraleedharan publicly claiming these portfolios even before the party has taken a final decision. “Everyone knows that the Industries and Home portfolios are likely to go to PK Kunhalikutty and Ramesh Chennithala respectively. But these two leaders have not made any public statements. But Muraleedharan has announced that he will be the next Health Minister. “This is unacceptable,” said a Congress leader.
Disagreement over the Fisheries and Higher Education portfolios between the Congress and Indian Union Muslim League(IUML) is the other reason that delays the official allocation notification for the newly formed UDF government.
The fisheries portfolio was initially slated for the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). However, the Latin Catholic Church strongly intervened, pressuring the Congress leadership to keep the Fisheries portfolio with Congress. To compensate the IUML for yielding the Fisheries department, Congress leadership proposed handing over Higher Education to them. This has triggered internal resentment from Congress leaders, as the portfolio was tentatively promised to Congress Minister Roji M. John.
The Latin Church had demanded the previous day that the Fisheries Minister should be someone who knows the problems of the coastal region.