Sitaram Yechury On KK Shailaja's Omission From New Kerala Cabinet

Sitaram Yechury said the party's central leadership has nothing to do with cabinet formation in states.

Justifying KK Shailaja's omission from the new LDF cabinet, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Thursday the decision to bring in new faces in the government in Kerala was taken in the long term interest of the party and for the state. Talking to reporters, Mr Yechury said the party's central leadership has nothing to do with cabinet formation in states. Responding to a question on the exclusion of Ms Shailaja, the popular health minister in the outgoing LDF ministry, from the new cabinet, he said the question of who will contest the election and who of the elected MLAs become ministers are matters within the domain of the respective state committees in every state. Mr Yechury, in Thiruvananthapuram to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Pinarayi Vijayan-led government, said even during the election 26 sitting MLAs did not re-contest the Assembly polls and that included very senior important ministers.