Final list delayed: Portfolio allocation turns tough nut to crack in VD government

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Portfolio allocation in the newly formed V.D. Satheesan-led UDF government remains deadlocked, with heavy internal friction delaying final decisions on key departments including Devaswom, Fisheries, and Higher Education. Despite the ongoing stalemate, leaders are racing against time to iron out differences ahead of the official Gazette notification expected on Wednesday.

In the Congress camp, portfolio distribution has sparked open defiance. M. Liju publicly voiced his displeasure over being assigned the Excise portfolio, signalling his preference for either Cooperation or Culture. Meanwhile, a major row has erupted over the Health Department; initially designated for A.P. Anilkumar, the portfolio was reassigned to K. Muraleedharan following the latter's strong objections. Attempts to pacify Anilkumar with the Power portfolio failed, prompting high-pressure tactics from the K.C. Venugopal faction. To break the impasse, leaders are now mulling a compromise that would hand Anilkumar the Devaswom department—originally slated for Muraleedharan—while shifting Muraleedharan to Youth Affairs and Sports.

Concurrently, a tactical move by the K.C. faction to strip KPCC President Sunny Joseph of the Revenue department and hand it to Anilkumar was successfully thwarted, with Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and veteran leader Ramesh Chennithala presenting a united front against the reshuffle.

The coalition is also navigating complex communal and ally equations:

• The Fisheries & Higher Education Tangle: The Latin Catholic Church has fiercely opposed allocating Fisheries to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), demanding Congress take direct control of the coast. In response, the League has demanded the Higher Education portfolio, a move strictly resisted by both Congress leadership and the Latin Church, who want Congress to retain the sector.
• The IUML’s Internal Rift: The League faces its own internal crisis over the coveted Public Works Department (PWD). While debutant MLA Abdul Gafoor has staked a claim—eyeing the portfolio once held by his father and former minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju—the P.K. Basheer faction has strongly opposed the move, arguing that a massive infrastructure portfolio should not be entrusted to a first-time legislator.
• RSP’s Stance: Elsewhere, RSP leader Shibu Baby John rejected the Labour portfolio but was temporarily placated with the Forest Department. Internal discussions continue on whether to swap his portfolio to Fisheries, though leadership views his bid to hold both Forest and Fisheries as highly impractical.