Thiruvananthapuram CPI(M) central committee member and former Kerala minister K Radhakrishnan on Sunday justified the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) decision not to hand over the Devaswom portfolio, which had been held by him, to party MLA O R Kelu.
Kelu will replace Radhakrishnan and take oath as a minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet on Sunday evening at a special ceremony to be held at Raj Bhavan here.
Radhakrishnan had resigned as Minister for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare, Parliamentary Affairs and Devaswom after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Alathur constituency.
Meanwhile, other political parties have criticized the Left government for not handing over the Devaswom portfolio to Kelu.
Speaking to a television channel, Radhakrishnan said that irrespective of the portfolios, the most important thing is his entry into the state cabinet as a minister.
"As far as Kelu is concerned, it is the first time that a person belonging to the tribal community has become a minister. We must first see that merit," he said.
He also said that there could be differences in the portfolio, but the most important thing is that he could become Wayanad minister.
Radhakrishnan said the newcomers should be able to handle the portfolios assigned to them and the current portfolio is entrusted to Kelu with the expectation that he will handle it well.
Kelu, a 54-year-old CPI(M) leader from a tribal community in Wayanad, was recently recommended by the CPI(M) state committee for appointment as a minister in the LDF cabinet.
While there is a clear indication that Kelu will get the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare portfolio, sources said there would be little alteration in the portfolios previously held by Radhakrishnan.
The Congress-led opposition UDF on Saturday said it was a wrong decision on the part of the LDF government not to hand over the Devaswom portfolio to Kelu.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, said Chief Minister Vijayan, who rightly opposed the non-appointment of Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh as interim speaker in the Lok Sabha, took a different stand when it came to Kelu.
"That is a wrong decision. The state government showed the same attitude in the Kelu case as the Center did when it did not appoint Suresh, the most senior Lok Sabha MP, as interim president," he said.
Kelu will replace Radhakrishnan and take oath as a minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet on Sunday evening at a special ceremony to be held at Raj Bhavan here.
Radhakrishnan had resigned as Minister for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare, Parliamentary Affairs and Devaswom after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Alathur constituency.
Meanwhile, other political parties have criticized the Left government for not handing over the Devaswom portfolio to Kelu.
Speaking to a television channel, Radhakrishnan said that irrespective of the portfolios, the most important thing is his entry into the state cabinet as a minister.
"As far as Kelu is concerned, it is the first time that a person belonging to the tribal community has become a minister. We must first see that merit," he said.
He also said that there could be differences in the portfolio, but the most important thing is that he could become Wayanad minister.
Radhakrishnan said the newcomers should be able to handle the portfolios assigned to them and the current portfolio is entrusted to Kelu with the expectation that he will handle it well.
Kelu, a 54-year-old CPI(M) leader from a tribal community in Wayanad, was recently recommended by the CPI(M) state committee for appointment as a minister in the LDF cabinet.
While there is a clear indication that Kelu will get the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare portfolio, sources said there would be little alteration in the portfolios previously held by Radhakrishnan.
The Congress-led opposition UDF on Saturday said it was a wrong decision on the part of the LDF government not to hand over the Devaswom portfolio to Kelu.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, said Chief Minister Vijayan, who rightly opposed the non-appointment of Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh as interim speaker in the Lok Sabha, took a different stand when it came to Kelu.
"That is a wrong decision. The state government showed the same attitude in the Kelu case as the Center did when it did not appoint Suresh, the most senior Lok Sabha MP, as interim president," he said.
