OR Kelu, a senior CPI-M leader from the tribal community and Mananthaway MLA, will become the new minister for Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, and Backward Classes in the LDF Government headed by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Kelu will replace K Radhakrishnan who stepped down on Tuesday after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Alathur constituency.
A decision to this effect is learnt to have taken by the CPI-M leadership. The date for the swearing-in will be decided later.
OR Kelu is the second leader from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) to become a minister. Earlier, Congress leader PK Jayalakshmi, who also belonged to a ST community, was part of the 2011-26 Oommen Chandy cabinet. In 2016 Kelu got elected to the state assembly by defeating PK Jayalakshmi. He repeated the success in 2021 from the Mananthavady constituency.
Kelu is the first leader from Scheduled Tribe to be elected to the CPI-M state committee. He is now chairing the assembly panel on SC/St welfare.
With Kelu’s cabinet entry, there will be a minor change in the portfolios of ministers. The two portfolios held by K Radhakrishnan will be given to two other ministers. Devaswom portfolio will be given to Ports minister VN Vasavan, while parliamentary affairs will be allotted to. Excise and Local Self Government minister MB Rajesh.