Thiruvananthapuram, May 20
Putting an end to media speculation that the central leadership of the CPI-M is unhappy in the way Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan dropped successful outgoing State Health Minister K.K. Shailaja from his new cabinet, general secretary of the party Sitaram Yechuri denied of any such reports.
"In the seven elections that we won in Bengal, the central leadership had no role in selecting cabinet ministers. It's the job of the respective State Committees and here too that has happened," said Yechuri.
Yechuri arrived in the state capital to take part in the swearing in ceremony of Vijayan on Thursday, who won a historic election victory by becoming the first Left Democratic Front to have retained power.
"I take this opportunity to salute the people of Kerala for this historic moment and during my election campaign I had said that the people will get an opportunity to become part of history and it has happened," added Yechuri.
He said the media and others turned critical when the party decided to drop senior legislators.
"The party has decided to bring in youth because 70 per cent of the population are below age 40," said Yechuri.
The CPI-M had sprung a surprise when it did not give seats to contest to 33 legislators, some of whom who did not have two continuous terms, which was the norm.
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