G Sudhakaran sworn in as pro tem Speaker; Kerala CM submits portfolio list to Governor

G Sudhakaran was sworn in as the pro tem Speaker of the Kerala Assembly during a brief ceremony held at Kerala Lok Bhavan on Wednesday. Chief Minister V D Satheesan also handed over the list of ministerial portfolios to Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Wednesday morning.

Cabinet ministers were also present at the swearing-in ceremony of the dissident Left leader. Sudhakaran, who quit the CPM alleging sidelining by the party, had contested from Ambalappuzha as an independent with UDF support. Sudhakaran will administer the oath to the newly elected MLAs, including Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan, in the Kerala Assembly on May 21. The house will reconvene on May 22 to elect the speaker and deputy speaker. Senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan will be made the speaker, and Shanimol Osman will be made the deputy speaker. The governor's policy address will be on May 29.

Portfolios submitted after a day's delay
The portfolio details submitted by the CM will now be published in a Gazette notification. 

The tussle between the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) over the Higher Education portfolio contributed to delays in finalising the departments. While the Muslim League was reportedly willing to exchange the Higher Education portfolio for Fisheries, the Congress faced resistance from sections of the Latin Catholic Church over the move.

Other major departments expected to go to IUML ministers include Education, Public Works, Local Self-Government and Urban Affairs. Sources in the IUML indicated that P K Kunhalikutty is likely to handle the Industries and IT portfolios.