KC faction dominance in UDF cabinet; Ramesh gets home affairs, VDS keeps finance portfolio

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Chief Minister-designate, V.D. Satheesan, personally visited Ramesh Chennithala at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram and offered crucial portfolios, including home affairs and vigilance. Meanwhile, Satheesan may keep the financial portfolio.

Ramesh demanded home affairs or else threatened not to join the cabinet. The high command accepted this. Ramesh will meet the DGP today. Ramesh was also the Home Minister in the Oommen Chandy government. Chennithala's demand that Anwar Sadat and I.C. Balakrishnan be given ministerial posts is also being considered. After Satheesan, KC Venugopal and K Sudhakaran visited Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday.

According to the agreement, the KC faction has the upper hand in the cabinet, with seven ministers. The Chennithala faction has three.

While the cabinet's oath-taking is scheduled for Monday, the full picture of ministers will be ready by Sunday evening. Busy discussions led by Satheesan and Sunny Joseph took place yesterday afternoon. KC Venugopal and Deepa Dasmunsi participated in the discussions.

Among the constituent parties, the League will get five ministers. Kerala Congress Joseph has one minister and a chief whip. RSP, Kerala Congress, Jacob and CMP have one minister each. At the same time, Joseph is adamant that his party be given two ministries for the compromise they made during the election time, including giving away two sure seats to Congress.

Congress will get 12 people, including the Chief Minister, and 9 people from the constituent parties. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be from Congress. N. Shaktan will likely become the Speaker. The Deputy Speaker has not been decided. There has been no final decision on the division of departments either. RMP, Mani C. Kappan and the independent group consisting of three people who left the CPM will not have ministerial posts. Although the Congress proposed the term conditions for Anoop Jacob and Mani C. Kappan, Anoop did not give in.

The list will be completed today and submitted to the Governor after obtaining the approval of the AICC leadership. The oath-taking will be held at 10 am on Monday.

• Congress: Apart from the Chief Minister, Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph, K. Muraleedharan, A.P. Anilkumar, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Chandy Oommen, Bindukrishna, M. Liju, P.C. Vishnunath

• Muslim League: P.K. Kunhalikutty, K.M. Shaji, Parakkal Abdullah, N. Shamsuddin, M.E. Abdulgafur

• Kerala Congress (J): Mons Joseph

• Jacob faction: Anoop Jacob

• RSP: Shibu Baby John

As expected, the Ezhavas were left out in terms of caste and community representation, with just two ministers. The Muslim and Christian communities will have six each. The Nair community five, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will get one each.