Full Kerala Cabinet Ministers' list out; CM Pinarayi Vijayan gets good wishes from PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated Pinarayi Vijayan on swearing-in as the Chief Minister of Kerala. The Prime Minister took to Twitter to congratulate Pinarayi Vijayan who has now begun his second term, creating history by becoming Chief Minister of Kerala for two consecutive terms.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government won the assembly election with a clear majority and set a new precedent by becoming the first incumbent government in Kerala in nearly four decades to get re-elected. Thus with the sweeping victory of the LDF, Pinarayi Vijayan retained the Chief Ministership of the state and took oath as the 13th CM of Kerala on Thursday. Along with Vijayan, 21 other ministers. The Kerala cabinet witnessed a reshuffle with a completely new batch of ministers taking over the cabinet berths.

Full list of Kerala Cabinet Ministers:

• Pinarayi Vijayan - Chief Minister
• KN Balagopal - Finance
• P Rajeeve - Industries
• K Rajan - Revenue
• Veena George - Health
• MV Govindan - Excise & Local Self Government
• K Radhakrishnan - Devaswom &SC/ST Welfare
• Mohamed Riyas - PWD& Tourism
• R Bindu - Higher Education
• V Sivankuty - General Education & Labour
• Saji Cherian - Fisheries &Cultural Affairs
• V N Vasavan - Cooperation& Registration
• V Abdurahiman - Minority Affairs & Haj
• R Prasad - Agriculture
• GR Anil - Agriculture
• J Chinchurani - Animal Husbandary & Dairy Development
• Roshy Augustine - Water Resources
• K Krishnakutty - Power
• AK Saseendran - Forest
• Antony Raju - Transport
• Ahammed Devarkovil - Zoo, Archives & Ports

KK Shailaja biggest casualty as Pinarayi Vijayan drops entire previous Cabinet 

Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja will not be a part of Pinarayi Vijayan's Cabinet as he commences his second term as the CM. This comes as a surprise as she has been internationally credited for leading the state's successful response against COVID-19. In fact, all other sitting Ministers have been dropped as well. Shailaja will now function as the party whip in the Legislative Assembly. 

"It is good that a new cabinet is coming. Everyone should get the opportunity. The party decided to make me a Minister last time. It was a very good experience for me. But there are many other people also. Everyone worked hard in their departments. But it doesn't mean that only I should continue. There are so many other people like me, they can also work hard. It is a very good decision," said KK Shailaja when asked about being dropped from her position.