Mantri Veena - Veena Mantri

The CPI (M)-led LDF had swept the April 6 polls, winning 99 of the 140 seats, in the results announced on the 2nd of May, creating history in Kerala politics, which has always witnessed alternative governments. As the Government takes Oath for the second term, The CPI(M) has 12 ministers (including the CM), CPI four ministers and one each from Kerala Congress (M), Indian National League (INL), Democratic Kerala Congress (DKC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Janata Dal (S) in the new Cabinet. With new faces at the helm of key portfolios, the 21-member Kerala Cabinet assumed office today, 20th May 2021.

 In the elections, Vijayan had taken a revolutionary decision not to give tickets for any sitting legislator who has completed two consecutive terms. This led to exclusion of several ministers, including second-rung leaders, from the election fray. Many senior CPI (M) ministers had been grounded by this move. The party sympathizers and a section of leaders had feared that the decision would lead to a setback for the party in many traditional strongholds, but the results proved otherwise. Again, when it was time for induction of ministers, it was decided that all the ministers would be new. From the old brigade Vijayan himself carries forward as CM. If fresh blood is what the party is baying for, then why not start at the top? That the cabinet has chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s son-in-law, P.A. Mohammad Riyas, is less worrying than the fact that why pluck out the one person who got you the maximum votes in her constituency, who is on top of her game and has all eyes on her as she walks towards the exit?

Shailaja teacher or K.K. Shailaja was born on 20 November 1956 to K. Kunthan and K. K. Shantha. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Physics  and Bachelor of Education  in 1980. Before entering active politics, she worked as a high school physics teacher.  She retired in 2004 for full-time political action. She is married to K. Bhaskaran since 19 April 1981, and they have two sons—Lasith and Sobhith. Her hobbies include reading and listening to music. She has authored two books: Indian Varthamanavum Sthreesamoohavum and China: Rashtram, Rashtreeyam, Kazhchakal. She was previously elected as the MLA of Kuthuparamba constituency twice in 1996 and 2016 and Peravoor constituency in 2006. She served as the Minister of Health, Social Justice and Woman and Child Development (Kerala) in the first Vijayan ministry (2016 – 2021). But In the 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, Shailaja won the largest margin ever (over 60,000 votes) in the history of Kerala Legislative Assembly elections. She effortlessly became a global icon following her brave fights with first the Nipah virus and now Covid in the state. She always seemed to be one step ahead of the pandemic somehow magically. Seen as a saviour. K.K. Shailaja was our heroine – fighting a deadly virus, and winning by all accounts. Her ill-timed ouster has come as a blow. It has left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth to witness her being sidelined thus in the new regime. Shailaja teacher’s exclusion has triggered an uproar in the media. At one time, party circles had even highlighted her as the successor to Pinarayi Vijayan.

Can we say that the Left’s mask has come off, its patriarchal mindsets exposed for all to see? Or was C.M. P. Vijayan and party afraid that there was too much attention and credit for Shailaja  Teacher? Yes, exclusions are inevitable when teams are under construction. Gowri Amma herself has spoken out about it, it turned bitter and she resigned. Everyone presumed she would be CM in 1987, but it was not to be. Caste or gender, no one knows. A bit of both is the general consensus. Plus, the popularity. The threat of overshadowing the powers that be, could derail any unwitting candidate. Susheela Gopalan, another former minister never to be promoted to CM, was seen as another casualty of the Left’s manly games. Is the trend here the same, or will we see her as the future CM?

Veena George has been identified as her successor. Interestingly, their age and age differences is similar to that of me and my mother. Wondering what my father's reaction would have been. Definitely he would have been happy and proud, is what I believe for the second term.  Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Veena George is all set to replace KK Shailaja as Kerala’s new Health Minister in Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led new Cabinet. Born in Thiruvananthapuram on August 3, 1976, George was second topper in MSc (Physics) from Kerala University. Her father PE Kuriakose was an advocate. She is married to George Joseph, a higher secondary school teacher who served as secretary of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. They have two children. Her first brush with politics was as an activist of Student Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of CPI (M).  In 2015, a year before her foray into electoral politics, Veena George became the first women Executive Editor to head a media organisation in Kerala when she assumed the position at TV New. She contested elections for the first time when CPI (M) fielded her from Aranmula in 2016 assembly polls. She won. Five years later in the 2021 assembly polls, she won the seat again. Veena George  defeated Congress veteran K Sivadasan Nair in both the elections. In 2019 general election, she contested from Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha Seat as a Left front candidate but lost to Anto Antony of the Congress. She has very big shoes to fill, and all eyes would be on her. 

The CPI(M) has selected MB Rajesh as Speaker of the Kerala Assembly and KK Shailaja as Party Whip. Senior leader TP Ramakrishnan has been appointed as the Parliamentary Party Secretary. The list of all ministers is:

• Pinarayi Vijayan – Chief Minister, Home Affairs, IT and Public Governance
• MV Govindan – Local Self Government Department, Excise
• K Radhakrishnan – Devasom, SC/ST development
• Saji Cheriyan – Fisheries, culture
• KN Balagopal – Finance Minister
• P Rajeev – Department of Industries and Commerce
• VN Vasavan -Cooperative Sector and Registration
• V Sivankutty – Education Ministry
• Muhammed Riyas – PWD, Tourism, Youth welfare
• Dr R Bindhu – Higher Education Minister
• Veena George – Health Minister
• Abdul Rahman – Minority affairs and NRKs
• Roshi Augustine – Water Resource Department
• J Chinchurani – Legal Metrology, Dairy Development and Animal Husbandry
• Antony Raju – Transport
• K Krishnankutty – Electricity
• AK Saseendran- Forest
• P Prasad- Agriculture
• K Rajan – Revenue Department
• G R Anil- Civil Supplies
• Ahammad Devarkovil – Ports

Not sure, who all are involved behind these decisions, but there are many bold ones. Good to have young blood included, opportunity for new people, with people like Dr. R. Bindhu, heading the Higher Education; there seems to be fair distribution of people from across the state and representation from various parties and religion too!