‘KK Shailaja replaced by able and competent young woman’: Kerala CM defends party’s decision

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan once again defended his party’s decision to replace KK Shailaja with former journalist Veena George as the state’s health minister, The Indian Express reported on Saturday. In an interview to the newspaper, Vijayan said it was the party that decided to induct new faces in the Cabinet.

“I am glad that many, including our adversaries, are now in full praise of our efforts in the health sector,” he told The Indian Express. “The very people who had ridiculed Shailaja Teacher are singing her praises.”

The chief minister said his government’s initiatives were always “part of team work” and not someone’s individual credit. “An able and competent young woman has succeeded Shailaja Teacher,” said Vijayan. “I would request all to stop the canards and support the government in its efforts to deal with the pandemic.”

The portfolios of new ministers in the Kerala government were announced on Friday, a day after Vijayan and his Cabinet members took the oath of office. Besides Vijayan, there are 20 ministers in the Cabinet. Seventeen of them are first-timers.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has been criticised for dropping Shailaja from the new Cabinet, despite her praiseworthy record in handling the Covid-19 and Nipah outbreaks in the state. The party, however, has claimed that dropping her was…

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