CPI-M minister gets prized Ports portfolio in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 30 (IANS) It came as a surprise when the Ports portfolio in Kerala was not given to the new minister sworn in on Friday, and instead, went to CPI-M Minister V.N.Vasavan, who is the Minister for Cooperatives.

The Ports portfolio was held by Ahamed Devarkoil, who as part of the agreement reached in 2021, will step down as Minister and he will be replaced by veteran Congress (S) leader Kadanapally Ramachandran.

When the notification of his portfolios came, the Ports portfolio was missing and it was given to Vasavan.

Instead the veteran Ramachandran who was the Ports Minister during the first Vijayan government (2016-21) was given the less glamorous Registration portfolio.

The speculation that is now going round on why Ramachandran was not given the Ports portfolio is on account of the nearing completion of the Vizhinjam Port, a dream project of Kerala for decades, being built by Adani Ports, near the famed tourist destination Kovalam, in the state's capital.

As per the present scheme of things, the much delayed arrival of the first commercial ship at Vizhinjam is expected to dock later next year and CPI-M felt that the glory of it needn’t go to a small ally of the Left.

But another reason doing the rounds and spoken in hushed tone is Vasavan’s speech at a public meeting held here recently, which described Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as a ‘Karma Yogi’.

Vasavan said this in the capital district while speaking at the ongoing Vijayan-led yatra of the entire state Cabinet on a bus that’s stopping at all the 140 Assembly constituencies.

Vasavan said that a late Christian Bishop had said that Vijayan is a gift from God to Kerala.

“It has now been proved that Kerala has wholeheartedly accepted Vijayan and the fact of the matter is that Vijayan is a ‘karma yogi’,” said Vasavan.

Fearing that his speech could be misreported, he said he next day: “I have not compared him to God, all I did was to just echo the statement of the Bishop. But I wish to state that Vijayan is a seasoned and tall political leader who has been widely appreciated for the way he has been working for the progress of the state.”

So the grapevine is maybe in the coming days, more ministers will be showering praises on Vijayan.