By TCN News,
Malappuram: The new reshuffle of the central cabinet has left the Muslim League unsatisfied as E Ahmed was not raised to the cabinet level, though he is now the Minister of State for External Affairs and has been given the extra charge of the human resources development department.
State general secretary KPA Majeed openly stated that the party was unsatisfied with the cabinet re-shuffle. We had expected a cabinet berth for E Ahmed who is the party’s national president and Minister of State for External Affairs, though we had not used any pressure for it. However, we are happy that he got the extra charge of the Minister of State for Human Resources Development, he said. Mr Majeed added that it was the first time that a Keralite got the charge of the HR ministry and that it would help bring new central education projects to the state.
E Ahmed
However, the new developments are sure to bring more problems in the party which has not been able to get a fifth minister in Kerala, despite its historic performance in the Assembly elections. Party state president Panakkad Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal had announced that the League would have five ministers in the state, though after the party-wise talks in the UDF were over. Manjalamkuzhi Ali, MLA of Perinthalmanna, was to be the fifth minister and it is said he was offered the post when he was fielded in the tight constituency of Perinthalmanna itself. But the Congress was not ready to concede to the League demand, saying it would increase the number of ministers to 21. Then the League tried to get a cabinet post for E Ahmed. And that has been foiled now. Expecting the cabinet berth, the League literally gave away the posts of the Deputy Speaker and Chief Whip in the state to the Congress and the Kerala Congress (M) respectively.
Criticism is still on that the failure of the League in getting a fifth minister in the state is the failure of the party leadership, which readily agreed with the Congress suggestion of four ministers, even though the Muslim League has 20 MLAs. Senior leader ET Muhammed Basheer had reportedly criticised PK Kunjalikkutty for not being able to get the deserved dues to the party in the government. The difference of opinion among the top leadership reflected in the election of two persons to the post of general secretary – ET Muhammed Basheer and KPA Majeed (who had the support of the Kunjalikkutty).
But now that the hopes are not fulfilled either in the state or in the centre, the party will have to console the workers with hopes of better performance coordination with ministers in education field in the state and centre.