MB Rajesh, the incumbent Speaker of the Kerala assembly will be inducted into the cabinet, the CPI(M) said in a statement on Friday, September 2. AN Shamseer, Thalassery MLA, will replace Rajesh as the Speaker, reads a statement from the CPI(M) state Secretariat. The portfolio will be announced by the Chief Minister’s office soon.
One vacant portfolio is Local-self government and Excise as the minister who handled the portfolio, MV Govindan had resigned after being chosen as the party state secretary. Ministries of Culture, Fisheries and Films are also vacant after Saji Cheriyan resigned as minister in July following a row over his comments on the Constitution.
Shamseer is the legislator from Thalassery in Kannur. It is believed that he has been chosen as Speaker so that Kannur district will retain its prominence in the assembly as Govindan who also hails from the district has been made the party Secretary.
MB Rajesh is the MLA from Thrithala in Palakkad. He has won accolades in the span of a year as Speaker though he was given the post for the first time. The second Pinarayi government assumed power in May 2021 after the CPI(M) led Left Democratic Front won the Assembly elections, for the second consecutive time, with a resounding majority.