'Disappointed': Kerala CM-designate V D Satheesan on some deserving MLAs losing cabinet post

Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan on Sunday announced the list of 20 Ministers who will take the oath along with him on Monday, but expressed his disappointment in not being able to consider certain eligible candidates. He said that the respective departments would be declared 'after the oath-taking ceremony.

The list announced by Satheesan includes P K Kunhalikutty, Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph, K Muraleedharan, Mons Joseph, Shibu Baby John, Anoop Jacob, C P John, A P Anil Kumar, N Samsudheen, P C Vishnunath, Roji M John, Bindu Krishna, M Liju, K M Shaji, P K Basheer, V E Abdul Gafoor, T Siddique, K A Thulasi and O J Janeesh.

The Chief Minister-designate expressed his disappointment in not being able to bring in certain talented candidates into the cabinet. "A lot of eligible and deserving candidates could not be considered when accounting for broader regional and social balances, and I deeply regret it," Satheesan said, citing that the decision was taken by the party after looking into various factors.

He added that while the departments were almost finalised, they would be announced through a gazette after the oath-taking on Monday. "It is presented to the governor after the oath-taking. Once the governor approves it, it will be printed as a gazette notification through the government press," he said.

Satheesan said that the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and several other Ministers would attend the ceremony on Monday.

Additionally, opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan, BJP state president C Rajeev Chandrasekhar, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam, and leaders of Congress allies such as Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal.

Satheesan also said he was elected to the post to help realise people's aspirations and added that Kerala's Chief Minister is not above criticism. He invited honest criticism from the media and said that the mistakes that could be rectified would be. "The media should become a corrective force," he said.

"When bad things happen, they should be called out, and good things must be appreciated," he said.

He also questioned recent news reports that claimed he had said he would not travel in a black car. He said that while the Chief Minister can purchase a new car for his use, it sends the wrong message under the current circumstances. "I will use whichever car is available," he said.

Satheesan also said he preferred not to have a convoy, as this may disturb travellers and cause traffic congestion. "When I consider the perspective of those observing these convoys, I understand that it may lead to anger, frustration and resentment," he said.