With Speaker MB Rajesh replacing MV Govindan as minister, the CPM state secretariat on Thursday named Thalassery MLA AN Shamseer as the new Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. The stage was set for the change in the cabinet with Govindan getting elected as CPM state secretary. Although it was initially reported that Shamseer would be included in the cabinet, the party leaders decided to name Rajesh as the minister.

As Kannur is losing a minister, it was decided at the state secretariat meeting that a representative from Kannur should become the Speaker. Following this, Shamseer was named as the speaker. According to sources, the party leadership also took into account the interest of former state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan in Shamseer's case.