The Communist Party of India (CPI) Kerala state council has decided to exclude its senior leaders from the cabinet and has recommended fresh faces for the Pinarayi cabinet.

The CPI State Executive and State committee met Tuesday and ratified the names of the new ministers.

Though there was some friction inside the party for rejecting its veteran leaders C. Divakaran and Mullakkara Ratnakaran, CPI state committee was firm on its decision to select new faces V.S. Sunil Kumar, E. Chandrasekharan, K Raju and P Thilothaman to the cabinet.

The ex-ministers C. Divakaran and Mullakkara Ratnakaran were not happy with the party's decision and reportedly responded emotionally.

Announcing the CPI list, State secretary Kannam Rajendran told reporters that there was nothing new in nominating new faces, since in 2006 too the party had followed the same pattern.

"We wanted to select new faces. All of them have experience as members in the assembly," he said when asked about the reported unhappiness of Divakaran and Ratnakaran not being made ministers. 

Of the total 19 ministers in the state cabinet, CPI(M) will have 12, including Chief Minister, CPI four, Janata Dal (S), NCP and Cong(S) one each.

There are eight new faces, including two women , in the CPI(M) list.