With Isaac out and KM Mani no extra, who will steer Kerala’s economic system?

Express News Service
KOCHI: For the LDF, the denial of the ticket to TM Thomas Isaac, the finance minister within the outgoing Left authorities, means a brand new face will maintain the workplace if the entrance returns to energy. Likewise is the case with the UDF after the 2019 demise of veteran politician Ok M Mani, who had been a everlasting fixture within the entrance’s finance ministry for the previous a number of phrases.The names being mentioned for the finance portfolio within the LDF camp are Ok N Balagopal, P Rajeev and Ok Ok Shailaja. In the UDF, after a number of a long time, Congress is anticipated to take again the portfolio from Kerala Congress. The title being broadly mentioned is V D Satheesan.

Balagopal, who’s an LLM holder, is anticipated to have a straightforward outing from the Left bastion of Kottarakkara. As a Rajya Sabha MP in 2010, he had raised a number of points associated to finance and had participated in Budget debates. His brother Ok N Harilal, a professor on the Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, is a member of the State Planning Board.

“It remains to be seen if the new LDF government will give the key portfolio to Balagopal, who is relatively a fresh face even though he has been a Rajya Sabha MP,” mentioned Jose Sebastian, an economist and retired affiliate professor at Thiruvananthapuram-based Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation. He mentioned P Rajeev, who can be a former Rajya Sabha MP and contested from Kalamassery this time, might have a greater likelihood at securing the portfolio. 

According to a different supply, nonetheless, Rajeev’s clear-cut views on the training sector makes him a most well-liked candidate for the training portfolio. The drawback confronted by Rajeev, nonetheless, is that the competition in Kalamassery just isn’t straightforward. “It’s a neck-and-neck fight there as the constituency is a UDF stronghold,” added the supply.

Shailaja, who is anticipated to win simply from Mattannur, can be a robust contender for the finance portfolio if the Left involves energy once more. “For her good work in the health ministry, Shailaja teacher deserves an upgrade in her portfolio. Besides, it will also send out the message that she’s the second in command in the ministry, given the fact that all other senior Communist leaders have been denied a seat this time,” mentioned one other supply.

Though Jose Ok Mani, if his KC(M) wins six or extra seats, might stake declare for the finance ministry, it’s unlikely that the CPM will permit this key portfolio to be dealt with by a junior accomplice, the supply added.Meanwhile, if the UDF beats all pre-poll surveys to return to energy, V D Satheesan — who is anticipated to win simply from Paravoor — would be the selection for the finance ministry portfolio, sources mentioned. “He is known for his interest in finance-related issues. I would say he is a strong contender for the position if UDF comes to power,” mentioned Ok V Joseph, economist and director at Institute of International Migration and Development.

Satheesan had put the LDF authorities on the defensive on varied finance-related points within the meeting over the previous 5 years. His YouTube channel ‘Dialogue with VDS’, the place he interviewed a number of key economists and businessmen together with Isaac, was well-received by netizens.