Not giving Devaswom portfolio to Kelu wrong decision of state govt: UDF

Kochi, Jun 22 (PTI) The Congress-led opposition UDF on Saturday said it was a wrong decision on the part of the LDF government to not give the Devaswom portfolio to CPI(M) MLA O R Kelu, who will be sworn in as a minister in the Left administration on June 23.

Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who correctly opposed the non-appointment of Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh as pro-tem Speaker in the Lok Sabha, took a different stand when it came to Kelu.

The 54-year-old CPI(M) leader from a tribal community in Wayanad will replace K Radhakrishnan, who resigned as Minister for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Parliamentary Affairs and Devaswom after being elected to the Lok Sabha from the Alathur seat.

Kelu was recommended by the CPI(M) state committee to be inducted as a minister in the LDF cabinet.

Although there is a clear indication that Kelu will get the portfolio of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST), according to sources in the government, there will be a minor shuffle in the portfolios previously held by Radhakrishnan.

The oath-taking ceremony for Kelu will be held on June 23 at 4 pm at the Kerala Raj Bhavan Auditorium.

Satheesan informed that the opposition will participate in the swearing-in ceremony, but said it was not clear why Kelu was not given the Devaswom portfolio.

"That is a wrong decision. The state government showed the same attitude in Kelu's case as the Centre did when it did not make Suresh, the senior most MP in the Lok Sabha, the pro-tem Speaker," he said. PTI HMP HMP SA