Chandy Oommen not in Kerala Cabinet despite intense speculation

The suspense over Chandy Oommen’s possible entry into the new Kerala Cabinet ended on Sunday, with Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan announcing his ministerial team without the Puthuppally MLA-elect’s name.

The omission is likely to disappoint sections of Congress workers and supporters who had strongly speculated that the MLA-elect would be rewarded with a Cabinet berth after retaining Puthuppally with a margin exceeding 50,000 votes. A bachelor known for his understated public persona, Chandy Oommen had been widely tipped for a ministerial berth in the new government.

Announcing the ministerial line-up ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Satheesan said the list had been finalised after discussions among alliance leaders, considering social and regional balance within the coalition.

Senior leaders Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan and Sunny Joseph were among those included in the Cabinet.

The UDF also decided to appoint senior legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as Speaker of the Assembly, while Shanimol Usman will serve as Deputy Speaker.

Satheesan said several deserving leaders could not be accommodated despite the Congress securing 63 seats in what he described as one of the party’s biggest victories in Kerala.

“There are many deserving leaders both within and outside the list. But a party like the Congress has to consider social balance, regional representation and several other factors while taking such decisions,” he said. 

He added that portfolio discussions among coalition partners were nearly complete, with only minor corrections remaining.

Chandy Oommen maintained party would decide

Amid intense speculation in recent days, Chandy Oommen had repeatedly maintained that the decision rested entirely with the party leadership.

After meeting the Chief Minister-designate at Cantonment House, he told reporters: “The party is bigger. Whether the party gives me a ministerial post or not, I will continue as a party worker.”

He also said visiting Satheesan after the election was “a matter of courtesy” and that he had conveyed his wishes to the incoming Chief Minister.

On another occasion, Chandy Oommen said the party had not informed him whether he would get a ministerial position or not.

“Discussions are going on. Let that continue. The party will take the decision. There is no point in me expressing an opinion before that,” he said.

He added that the government’s priority should be development and implementation of guarantees promised by the UDF.

“Whatever decision the party takes will be right. The party can take any kind of decision,” he told.

Low-key campaign drew national attention

The son of late former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Chandy Oommen had emerged as one of the most talked-about faces of the election campaign.

Avoiding a high-decibel campaign style, he largely relied on direct voter engagement and travelled across his constituency on a bicycle instead of campaign convoys.

The image of him cycling through villages and town centres became closely associated with his campaign style.

His campaign gained national attention when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined him for a bicycle ride in Puthuppally.

Chandy Oommen had already surpassed his father’s highest winning margin during the bye-election held after Oommen Chandy’s death. His latest victory margin crossed 50,000 votes, further strengthening expectations among supporters that he would enter the Cabinet.