Cabinet Rejig after Polls: Chandy

KOCHI: The state Cabinet would see a reshuffle after the Lok Sabha election. This was disclosed by the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy while he was speaking to reporters. He said a decision on the reshuffle would be taken after getting the consent of the Congress high command.Oommen Chandy, however, refused to discuss the matter further.

The disclosure by the chief minister, soon after his meeting with R Balakrishna Pillai of Kerala Congress (B), has led to speculation that the former minister KB Ganesh Kumar of Kerala Congress (B) is returning to the state Cabinet. Ganesh Kumar was formerly the minister of sports, cinema and environment & forests in Oommen Chandy’s ministry.Earlier when R Balakrishna Pillai took up the matter, Oommen Chandy had said that Ganesh Kumar’s return to the ministry will be taken up after the election.

On Thursday, Oommen Chandy met both R Balakrishna Pillai and his son Ganesh Kumar at the latter’s residence. Ganesh Kumar resigned following allegations of domestic violence against his wife Yamini Thankachi. They were later granted divorce by a family Court in Thiruvananthapuram.

With the entry of Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) into the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF), the possibility of a merger of RSP and RSP (B) appears to be high. The representation of RSP in the ministry is another question that is likely to be addressed in the reshuffle.