Thiruvananthapuram: As the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) expresses confidence in securing a third straight term, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is said to be considering a cabinet reshuffle—one that could see changes in key portfolios and even the induction of new faces.
LDF convenor T.P. Ramakrishnan recently affirmed the coalition’s upbeat outlook. “The government’s performance and public trust have laid the foundation for a third term,” he stated, further fuelling speculation that Vijayan may fine-tune his cabinet to reinforce that momentum.
The backdrop to these developments includes significant changes within the opposition Congress, where party president and Kannur MP K. Sudhakaran has been appointed a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC). His long-time aide, Sunny Joseph, has stepped into a more prominent role in the party. The shift is notable since both leaders hail from Kannur — also Vijayan’s home district and a traditional CPI(M) stronghold.
Political observers see a pattern: the shuffle chatter follows the rising visibility of P.A. Mohammed Riyas, Vijayan’s son-in-law and the state’s Tourism Minister. Speculation is rife that both Riyas and Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian, key Vijayan allies, could be relieved of their posts.
“There’s every chance this is strategic,” a political observer said on condition of anonymity. “Vijayan is a master of social engineering. With local body and assembly polls due within a year, this reshuffle could be aimed at recalibrating caste and regional equations — especially with the Congress already making such moves.”
The same observer added, “If Riyas and Cherian are replaced, it could also mean they’re being prepared for greater party responsibilities, given their positions in the CPI(M) state secretariat. It would also silence critics who felt Riyas’s elevation came at the cost of senior leaders.”
Another major shift being discussed is the potential elevation of Assembly Speaker A.N. Shamseer to the cabinet — a move that could pave the way for the return of former Health Minister K.K. Shailaja as Speaker. Shailaja, hailed for her exemplary leadership during the COVID-19 and Nipah outbreaks, was controversially left out of the ministry in Vijayan’s second term. If appointed Speaker, she would become the first woman to hold the post in Kerala’s history.
Among the other MLAs reportedly being considered for cabinet berths are P.P. Chitharanjan from Alappuzha (the home district of Saji Cherian), Thottathil Ravindran from Kozhikode — seen as a staunch Vijayan loyalist — and K. Ansalan from Thiruvananthapuram.
With murmurs growing louder, all eyes are now on Pinarayi Vijayan — the man who has dominated Kerala’s political landscape since 2016 — to see whether he will indeed pull the trigger on a reshuffle that could reshape the LDF’s electoral strategy and internal dynamics.
