THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amidst the reported moves for a cabinet reshuffle by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said in New Delhi that the UDF government had not so far thought about a cabinet expansion. Mr Chennithala told the AICC leaders that a cabinet expansion would not help the government at this juncture, said Congress sources. He also told that the government’s image would suffer if Mr Chandy decides to bring back former forest minister K. B. Ganesh Kumar.
Mr Chennithala held talks with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary in charge of the state Mukul Wasnik and Mr A. K. Antony on Saturday. He will also meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel later.
Mr Chennithala told reporters, “It is the Chief Minister who has to take a decision on the cabinet shuffle and explain about it.” Mr Chennithala also met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and urged him that the RBI Act should be strictly enforced to control big private money lending organisations. He said the UDF government would continue its crackdown on ‘blade’ mafias using Operation Kubera. “All political parties have come to support this. However, we will allow people to run legal financing companies,” he said.
Regarding the government’s approach towards the Modi government, Mr Chennithala said Mr Narendra Modi would be respected as the Prime Minister. He also added that Kasturirangan report would not be implemented in its present form.
Meanwhile, the AICC leadership has called PCC chief V. M. Sudheeran to New Delhi for a follow-up discussion on the Lok Sabha elections.
“But Sudheeran will not oppose or reject Chandy’s proposal for a cabinet expansion. Instead, he will demand a detailed discussion to reach a consensus on the issue,” a senior Congress leader told.
