Face of fight against Covid, Shailaja dropped from Kerala’s new cabinet

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala health minister KK Shailaja, who was the face of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, on Tuesday did not find a place in the new cabinet as the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) sprang a surprise by dropping all ministers to induct new faces.

Barring Vijayan, all his team members were dropped from the new council of ministers. The swearing-in ceremony is slated to be held on Thursday.

Shailaja, however, told reporters that she will abide by the decision. “The party made me a minister five years ago and I did my job. It was a collective job, not a personality-oriented one. People should give the same support to the new team,” she said.

People familiar with the matter suggest that Veena George, a former journalist, is likely to get the health department.

While some leaders in the party secretariat reportedly favoured a second term for Shailaja, others opposed it saying that since the Cabinet was going to have new faces, there should be no room for any exception.

Several senior party leaders, including Brinda Karat, expressed reservations over her exclusion from the new Cabinet, said the people.

“It is a sad development. In the name of fresh blood, the most popular face was axed. The effective handling of the pandemic situation was one of the reasons for the party’s return to power. If the whole team was changed, it should have been applicable to the captain as well,” political commentator NM Pearson said.

However, Politburo members MA Baby and S Ramachandran Pillai said the “party has taken a well thought-out decision” that was unanimous.

In an interview to HT, the new speaker MB Rajesh said: “Except for CM, all other ministers are new faces. Shailaja has been given role in the party’s central committee, where she is one of the very few women members...”

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