CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s son-in-law, 10 first-time ministers in Kerala cabinet

A 21-member Kerala Cabinet, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, took oath in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. Among those who found a berth in the cabinet are 03 women and 10 first-time ministers. The average age of the ministry is 59.1 years. Vijayan handed key portfolios to several new faces, including PA Muhammad Riyas, his son-in-law. 

Bucking the trend of the state alternating between CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF every five years, Vijayan won a second consecutive term in the assembly election held in April. The LDF won 98 of the 140 seats in the elections.     

Meet the key members of Kerala’s cabinet: 

1) Pinarayi Vijayan – Chief Minister, Home Affairs, IT and Public Governance: Vijayan made history on May 2 by becoming the first chief minister in four decades to win a second straight term in Kerala. He has occupied the office since 2016. The LDF leader has served the state of as Minister of Electric Power and Co-operatives from 1996 to 1998. He represents the  Dharmadom constituency.

2) Veena George – Health, Women & Child and Social Justice Minister: Veena George succeeds KK Shailaja in the Kerala assembly. While Shailaja was globally lauded for her work in the cabinet, especially during the COVID-19 crises, Vijayan justified his decision by saying that the state needs ‘new faces’. Shailaja will serve as the party whip. Veena George, former television news as anchor-reporter, represents Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district. George rose to prominence by defeating Congress’ K Sivadasan Nair in her debut elections in 2016. However, she lost the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. 

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3) P Rajeev- Industries Minister: CPM’s P Rajeev represents the Kalamassery constituency. He was a Rajya Sabha member from 2009 to 2015. Rajeev, drafted in a major portfolio, is a recipient of the Sansad Ratna award for best parliamentarian. The 53-year-old will be making his debut as a minister in Vijayan’s second term. He has served the party as a district secretary and the joint district secretary of the labour wing CITU. Rajeev is He’s also the editor-in-chief of  CPM’s mouthpiece Deshabhimani.

4) PA Muhammad Riyas- PWD and Tourism Minister: Riyas garnered some spotlight when he represented CPM in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Even though he lost to Congress’ MK Raghavan in 2009, Riyas came up as a strong Muslim face in the party. He won Beypore, Kozhikode district in 2021. PA Muhammad Riyas is the national president of CPM’s youth wing – DYFI. Riyas is married to Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena. 

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5) KN Balagopal- Finance Minister: Balagopal represents Kottarakkara, Kollam district. He has been a Rajya Sabha MP from 2010 to 2015. Like Veena George, KN Balagopal also has big shoes to fill as he succeeds two-time finance minister TM Thomas Isaac. Balagopal has served as the national president of the SFI and the DYFI He was CPM’s secretary for the Kollam district. The 57-year-old lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to UDF’s NK Premachandran.

Other ministers in the cabinet are: 

1) Roshi Augustine – Water Resource Department

2) J Chinchurani – Legal Metrology, Dairy Development and Animal Husbandry

3) Antony Raju – Transport

4) K Krishnankutty – Electricity

5) AK Saseendran- Forest

6) P Prasad- Agriculture

7) K Rajan – Revenue Department

8) G R Anil- Civil Supplies

9) Ahammad Devarkovil – Ports

10) MV Govindan – Local Self Government Department, Excise

11) K Radhakrishnan – Devasom, SC/ST development

12) Saji Cheriyan – Fisheries, culture

13) VN Vasavan -Cooperative Sector and Registration

14) V Sivankutty – Education Ministry

15) Dr R Bindhu – Higher Education Minister

16) Abdul Rahman – Minority affairs and NRKs