By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Thursday added two more ministers to his cabinet, taking the total strength to 21, and shuffled some key portfolios, including home.
The new home minister is T. Radhakrishnan, who previously held revenue, Chandy told reporters after a cabinet meeting. Adoor Prakash, who was health minister, will now look after revenue, V.S. Sivakumar moves from transport to health and Aryadan Mohammed will hold additional charge of transport.
The two new ministers are M. Ali, 60, of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), and Anup Jacob, 34, who became a legislator last month stepping into the shoes of his father, Kerala Congress-Jacob’s T.M. Jacob.
The two first-time ministers were administered the oath of office by Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj, who is standing in as Kerala governor.
Anup’s mother, Daisy Jacob, a senior bank official, was seen trying to control her tears as her son was sworn in. Her husband had been the food and civil supplies minister and Chandy has given the same portfolio to Anup. Ali has got the municipalities portfolio.
The expansion had been hotly debated here as this was the first time that the IUML, the second biggest ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front, gets five ministers.
Addressing reporters after a special cabinet meeting, Chandy said he had sought the permission of the party leadership to allow him to shuffle the portfolios.
“I got the green signal today (Thursday),” he said.