Chandy expands cabinet, inducts 13 more ministers

Thiruvananthapuram, May 23 : Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy expanded his cabinet Monday by including 13 more ministers in the United Democratic Front (UDF) government he leads.

Governor R.S. Gavai administered the oaths of office and secrecy to the new ministers. With this, the strength of the cabinet rose to 20.

Chandy and six others were sworn in May 18.

Among the 13 new ministers, nine are from the Congress party - Aryadan Mohammed, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Adoor Prakash, A.P. Anil Kumar, P.K. Jayalekshmi, C.N. Balakrishnan, K. Babu, K.C. Joseph and V.S. Sivakumar.

The other ministers include M.K. Muneer, V.K. Ebrahim Kunju, P.K. Abdu Rabb (Indian Union Muslim League) and P.J. Joseph (Kerala Congress-Mani).

Jayalekshmi, 29, became the state's first minister from the tribal community. She represents Mananthavady constituency in Wayanad district.

P.J. Joseph, who was part of the previous Left Front government representing the Kerala Congress faction that he led, later quit the ministry and joined Kerala Congress (Mani), a leading UDF partner.

There is one more vacancy in the cabinet over which heated talks are continuing between the UDF allies.

--IANS

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