Two days after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government was sworn in, Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Wednesday approved the portfolio allocation recommended by Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan, according to the Lok Bhavan.
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The UDF returned to power in Kerala after a decade by defeating the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the April 9 Assembly elections. The alliance won 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, with the Congress securing 63 of them.
Satheesan, who previously served as the leader of opposition, will handle 35 departments, including finance, law, general administration, and ports.
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- V. D. Satheesan, who served as leader of opposition in the previous Assembly, will oversee 35 departments, including finance, law, general administration, and ports.
- Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who was considered a contender for the chief minister’s post before Satheesan was chosen, has been assigned the key home portfolio. He will also handle vigilance along with three other departments.
- P. K. Kunhalikutty of the Indian Union Muslim League has been given portfolios including industries and commerce, information technology, artificial intelligence, startups, mining and geology, and handlooms and textiles.
- With 22 seats, the IUML emerged as the second-largest constituent of the UDF alliance.
- Sunny Joseph, chief of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, has been assigned the electricity, environment, and parliamentary affairs portfolios.
- Senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan will oversee seven departments, including health, devaswoms, food safety, and medical education.
- Roji M. John will handle higher education, while A. P. Anil Kumar has been given the land and revenue portfolio.
- N. Shamsudheen will serve as the general education minister.
- Shibu Baby John of the Revolutionary Socialist Party has been allocated forests and wildlife protection as well as skill development.
- Mons Joseph will head the irrigation, groundwater, water supply and sanitation, and housing departments.
- P C Vishnunadh gets Tourism, Culture, Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC)
- M Liju gets Co-operation and Excise
Roji M John Collegiate Education, Technical Education, Universities (Except Agricultural, Veterinary, Fisheries, Medical and Digital Universities), Entrance Examination, National Cadet Corps and Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP) Kerala - T Siddique gets Agriculture, Soil Survey & Soil Conservation, Kerala Agricultural University, Warehousing Corporation
- K A Thulasi gets Development of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes
- Bindhu Krishna gets Labour, Animal Husbandry, Milk Co-operatives, Woman & Child Development
- O J Janeesh gets Sports, Youth Affairs, Zoos, Museum
- P K Kunhalikutty gets Industries & Commerce, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence
- N Samsudheen gets General Education, Wakf and Haj Pilgrimage, Minority Welfare
- K M Shaji gets Panchayat and Rural development
- P K Basheer gets Public Works Department
- V E Abdul Gafoor gets Fisheries, Harbour Engineering and Social Justice
- Mons Joseph gets Irrigation
- Anoop Jacob gets Food & Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology
- Shibu Baby John Forests & Wild Life Protection
- C P John gets Road Transport, Motor Vehicles and Water Transport
