<p>Kerala's popular health minister K K Shailaja has been denied a second term in Pinarayi Vijayan's new ministry in Kerala, while Vijayan's son-in-law and DYFI national president Mohammed Riyas, and CPI(M) acting state secretary A Vijayaraghavan's wife R Bindu are among the all new CPI(M) faces in the cabinet to be sworn in on Thursday.</p>.<p>Except for Vijayan, no other CPI(M) members in the outgoing cabinet were included in the new cabinet.</p>.<p>Party leaders maintained that the party wanted to bring in new faces and youngsters to the forefront. But a section in the party was learnt to have strongly demanded a second term for Shailaja considering the international attention she grabbed with the fight against Covid-19 and nipah. Some pre-poll surveys even projected her as a potential Chief Minister candidate.</p>.<p>But it was learnt that the party had to go by the suggestion of Vijayan to have all new faces. With the thumping victory and a historic second consecutive term, Vijayan had emerged as undisputed leader of CPI(M) and hence the voices of dissent may not hold much ground, sources close to the party leadership said.</p>.<p>Shailaja, who has been made the party whip, reacted that she would be happy at any decision of the party and the fight against Covid and nipah were joint efforts only.</p>.<p>Journalist-turned-politician and second time MLA Veena George would be also included in the cabinet. Former MP M B Rajesh would be the new Speaker.</p>.<p>Vijayan's son-in-law Riyaz Mohammed is a first time legislator and there were concerns with in the party that his induction into the cabinet may trigger allegations of favouratism by Vijayan. R Bindu is also a first time legislator.</p>.<p>V Sivankutty, who defeated BJP in its lone sitting seat in Kerala, Nemom in Thiruvananthapuram, also got a berth in the cabinet. M V Govindan, K Radhakrishnan, K N Balagopal, P Rajeev, V N Vasavan, Saji Cheriyan and V Abdul Rahman are the other CPI(M) members to join the cabinet. The decisions were taken at CPI(M) state committee meeting.</p>.<p>CPI, which is the second largest party in the Left Democratic Front, also decided to have all new faces in its cabinet seats, including a women. Chinju Rani is the woman to enter the cabinet from CPI, which is also a remarkable decision as it is for the first time after the split in the Community party in Kerala that a woman leader from CPI is being made minister. The women representation in the new cabinet would be four, while it was two in the outgoing cabinet.</p>.<p>K Rajan, P Prasad and G R Anil are the other CPI members to join Pinarayi Vijayan's second cabinet.</p>
<p>Kerala's popular health minister K K Shailaja has been denied a second term in Pinarayi Vijayan's new ministry in Kerala, while Vijayan's son-in-law and DYFI national president Mohammed Riyas, and CPI(M) acting state secretary A Vijayaraghavan's wife R Bindu are among the all new CPI(M) faces in the cabinet to be sworn in on Thursday.</p>.<p>Except for Vijayan, no other CPI(M) members in the outgoing cabinet were included in the new cabinet.</p>.<p>Party leaders maintained that the party wanted to bring in new faces and youngsters to the forefront. But a section in the party was learnt to have strongly demanded a second term for Shailaja considering the international attention she grabbed with the fight against Covid-19 and nipah. Some pre-poll surveys even projected her as a potential Chief Minister candidate.</p>.<p>But it was learnt that the party had to go by the suggestion of Vijayan to have all new faces. With the thumping victory and a historic second consecutive term, Vijayan had emerged as undisputed leader of CPI(M) and hence the voices of dissent may not hold much ground, sources close to the party leadership said.</p>.<p>Shailaja, who has been made the party whip, reacted that she would be happy at any decision of the party and the fight against Covid and nipah were joint efforts only.</p>.<p>Journalist-turned-politician and second time MLA Veena George would be also included in the cabinet. Former MP M B Rajesh would be the new Speaker.</p>.<p>Vijayan's son-in-law Riyaz Mohammed is a first time legislator and there were concerns with in the party that his induction into the cabinet may trigger allegations of favouratism by Vijayan. R Bindu is also a first time legislator.</p>.<p>V Sivankutty, who defeated BJP in its lone sitting seat in Kerala, Nemom in Thiruvananthapuram, also got a berth in the cabinet. M V Govindan, K Radhakrishnan, K N Balagopal, P Rajeev, V N Vasavan, Saji Cheriyan and V Abdul Rahman are the other CPI(M) members to join the cabinet. The decisions were taken at CPI(M) state committee meeting.</p>.<p>CPI, which is the second largest party in the Left Democratic Front, also decided to have all new faces in its cabinet seats, including a women. Chinju Rani is the woman to enter the cabinet from CPI, which is also a remarkable decision as it is for the first time after the split in the Community party in Kerala that a woman leader from CPI is being made minister. The women representation in the new cabinet would be four, while it was two in the outgoing cabinet.</p>.<p>K Rajan, P Prasad and G R Anil are the other CPI members to join Pinarayi Vijayan's second cabinet.</p>