CPI finalises its ministers; drops Divakaran and Ratnakaran

The Communist Party of India (CPI), the biggest partner in the Left Democratic Front that is all set to form the new government in Kerala,  has dropped senior leaders and former ministers C Divakaran and Mullakkara Ratnakaran to propose a list of four new faces to the Pinarayi Vijayan ministry.

After deliberations in the CPI state executive on Monday that saw Divakaran and Ratnakaran sulking, the party selected VS Sunilkumar, P Thilothaman, E Chandrashekharan and K Raju as its ministers in the LDF ministry. Chandrashekhar will be the parliamentary party leader of the CPI. P Sasi, the legislator from Chirayinkeezhu, was proposed as the CPI's nominee for the Deputy Speaker. 

Meanwhile, there are reports that Divakaran and Ratnakaran, who occupied the Civil Supplies and Agriculture portfolios respectively in the VS Achuthanandan Ministry,  protested for not being considered, despite their seniority.   

Announcing the decision of the party state council, state secretary Kanam Rajendran said that the party followed its norms and finalised a list of new faces to the ministry. "In 2006 also, the CPI selected four new faces as ministers," he said. "The experience as ministers doesn't necessary be the criterion for selection. We are counting the legislative experience and all the designated ministers are well-experienced in that respect," Rajendran said. 

• election 2016
• new Kerala ministry
• cpi ministers