THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The second Pinarayi Vijayan government is likely to have new faces along with some of the previous cabinet members. Central committee member K K Shailaja, state secretariat members T P Ramakrishnan and M M Mani are likely to continue. A C Moideen is likely to get one more chance.

Central committee member M V Govindan, K Radhakrishnan and secretariat members P Rajeev and K N Balagopal are in the probable list. The party leadership said this is unlikely to change. One need to know among V Sivankutty, V N Vasavan, M B Rajesh, Veena George, Chitharanjan and V Abdurahman-- who all will reach the cabinet.

The Left Front have intensified talks on cabinet formation. The CPM leadership held discussions with CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran on issues including division of portfolios. There is an attempt to reach a CPM-CPI understanding on the ministerial posts and portfolios before the Left Front’s meeting on Monday.

The division of the portfolio can be completed only if the CPI responds to the CPM's demand for a change in the permanent departments. In the 21-member cabinet, the CPM is likely to have 12 ministers, including the chief minister. The CPI will have four ministers. The CPM will get the speaker's post and the CPI will get the deputy speaker's post. The CPI will lose its chief whip post.

The CPM also briefed the CPI the proposal for the ministerial post of the constituent parties. The Kerala Congress will have a minister and the post of chief whip. The NCP and JD (S) will get one minister each. A ministerial berth is sure for Kerala Congress B in one-seated parties.

Congress (S) will not get a berth. The effort is to give representation to both the parties by giving two and a half years each to the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress and the INL. The swearing-in will take place at the Central Stadium on May 20 at 3.30 pm.