A crucial leadership meeting of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) on November 10 intensified political theorising about the possibility of a likely cabinet reshuffle.
The LDF had promised cabinet berths to four allies with single MLAs in the Assembly on a two-and-a-half-year sharing-term basis ending in November.
(As per the understanding, Transport Minister Antony Raju of the Democratic Kerala Congress would quit office in favour of Kerala Congress (B) leader K. B. Ganesh Kumar. Similarly, Kadanappally Ramachandran of Congress (S) would replace Ahamed Devarkovil of the Indian National League. The LDF had set November 25 as the deadline.)
Earlier, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) convenor, E.P. Jayarajan, had lent credence to the possibility that the ruling alliance would honour its commitment to allies.
Leader of the Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, had objected to Mr. Kumar’s likely cabinet induction on the ground that he faced trial in a case relating to a conspiracy to denigrate late Chief Minister Ommen Chandy. However, LDF leaders had signalled that such “dark mutterings” would not deter the alliance from staying the course.
An LDF insider did not rule out the likelihood that the alliance leaders might postpone the cabinet reshuffle. The government’s mass contact programme, “Nava Kerala Sadassu”, commences November 18.
He said the entire government machinery, including Ministers, was on overdrive to make the cabinet’s public outreach successful. Hence, the possibility of a reshuffle at the current juncture appeared remote but not impossible.
Successive governments have often resorted to mid-term cabinet reshuffles ahead of general elections to mitigate political headwinds and repair the wear and tear that long years in power visit on the public image of administrations. Nevertheless, disturbing the status quo invariably brings certain uncertainties for coalition governments.
For one, conversations about a looming cabinet reshuffle have reportedly prompted several LDF allies to overtly and covertly express their desire to move from the backbenches to the front-of-the-aisle seats in the Assembly.
For one, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Thomas. K. Thomas, MLA, said Kuttanad needed a minister. The Revolutionary Socialist Party (Leninist), which has a single MLA in the Assembly, Kovoor Kunjumon, has reportedly raised a similar demand.
