THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM who surprised everyone by dropping K K Shailaja from the second Pinarayi Government, stored some surprises in the allocation of portfolios. When the allocation of portfolios of the second Pinarayi Government came, the most discussed is the decision of the chief minister to hand over devaswom to K Radhakrishnan. Devaswom was the department where the first Pinarayi government faced many accusations. The CPM and the chief minister blamed for many issues including the Sabarimala controversy, after five years are now reaffirming their politics among the people by appointing one from the minority community as devaswom minister.

Usually when the LDF and the UDF governments took turns, the devaswom department was given to one from a forward community member from the Travancore region. Probably this could be the first time in the history of the Left, one from the minority community is becoming a devaswom minister.

K Radhakrishnan, who was minister of SC and ST Affairs and Youth Affairs in the E K Nayanar ministry in 1996, is a member of the CPM central committee and the All India President of the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch. Senior CPM and popular leader K Radhakrishnan is becoming the devaswom minister at a time when issues including women entry in Sabarimala would come up for discussions again.

Radhakrishnan who was MLA of Chelakkara in 2001, 2006 and 2011 was the chief whip in 2001 and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 2006. Although he did not compete in 2016, this time he was in the fray. Along with Devaswom, Radhakrishnan has also been given Parliamentary Affairs. Radhakrishnan's experience as Speaker would ll be vital as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. The party assessed that Radhakrishnan will help M B Rajesh, a new face and speaker of second Pinarayi Government.