Rejig of CPI-M ministers' portfolios likely in Kerala

The Kerala government is contemplating reshuffling a few CPI-M minister's portfolios with state Education Minister V.Sivankutty, caught in legal bind over vandalising the state Assembly in 2015, likely to step down, sources said.

According to the sources, in order to ensure Sivankutty's honourable exit, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is giving him a key party post leading to a reshuffle of portfolios.

Replacing Sivankutty as a minister would be Varkala assembly constituency CPI-M legislator V.Joy.

Sivankutty, along with five top leaders, have been asked to be present in the court on September 14 in connection with the case, when their charge sheet would be read out, a source in the know of things said.

Hence in all likelihood, Sivankutty will put in his papers later this month and Joy would be inducted and along with it there will be a reshuffle of the portfolios of a few existing CPI-M ministers.

Ministers who could see a minor change in the existing portfolios include, P.Rajeev, V.N.Vasavan, M.V.Govindan, P.A.Mohammed Riyas, Veena George and K.Radhakrishnan.

Sivankutty will be replacing incumbent Thiruvananthapuram district CPI-M secretary Anavoor Nagappan, who was a surprise choice to the party's state secretariat when it was reconstituted, and hence he is moving out.