The CPI(M)-led Kerala Cabinet is a divided house. Of the 11 party ministers,none has come forward to put his weight entirely behind Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan following his battle with party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan over the Lavalin scam. Some of the cabinet colleagues,in fact,have sought that the Chief Minister be either removed or chastened. Here is a look at where the CPI(M) ministers stand. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan: The Home Minister and politburo member is the second-in-command in the Cabinet. After being elevated to the politburo in the Coimbatore conference in 2008,Kodiyeri,a loyalist of Pinarayi Vijayan,never openly indulged in group activities. A silent,but strong contender for the next emerging top slot in the party or Government,he now sports a balanced approach,though still with Vijayan. Thomas Issac: The Finance Minister and central committee member is the war head of the Vijayan faction. Issac had helped him steer clear of controversies related to the alleged right-wing deviation in the party. Issac,who had demanded VSs ouster in the central committee,had always triggered criticism on the Chief Minister. Both of them had been bitter enemies even before their innings in the Government. M A Baby: Education Minister and central committee member,Baby entered the Cabinet as Vijayans nominee. Baby,who is still with his master,leaves no chance to target VS. The former RS member had been keen to emerge as a frontline player in state politics,but was pushed behind Kodiyeri. Though bungling of his department played a role in the partys electoral rout,group loyalty helped him remain unscathed. A K Balan: Power Minister and party state secretariat member,Balan is a staunch Vijayan loyalist. He had played a pivotal role in demoting former Parliament member N N Krishna Das,a VS confidant,from the state committee to an area in Palakkad. Balan is also known as a strong critic of the CM. Elamaram Kareem: The Industries Minister is an Achuthanandan basher with a track record. Kareem,a CITU leader,became a Vijayan loyalist after the state conference in 2005. As he rushed CITU support to Vijayan,Kareem was reciprocated with a slot in the state secretariat and later in the Cabinet. Now,Kareem is Achuthanandans leading bete noir. Both have locked horns in ugly battles over industrial projects. Kareem had even opposed the candidature of Achuthanandan in the last Assembly elections as he feared backlash from Muslims. P K Gurudasan: Another CITU leader in the Cabinet. The central committee member is the Minister for Labour and Excise. Until recently,Gurudasan was a staunch supporter of VS. On the Lavalin issue,he adopted the party line,disregarding his mentors stand. He has been maintaining a middle path in the latest bout of the war in the party. Paloli Muhammedkutty: The central committee member and Minister for Local Self Government is an unassuming,clean Communist. He has been with Vijayan,often gunning for Achuthanandan on policy matters. Achuthanandan had singled out Paloli for attacks over availing ADB loan for the local bodies in the state. S Sharma: State committee member and Fisheries Minister,Sharma had always been with Achuthanandan. The former power minister had been the first to detect the irregularities in the Lavalin deal. On Lavalin issue,he too resorted to the middle path. However,he is still considered close to the CM. P K Sreemathi: Central committee member and Health Minister,this Vijayan loyalist from Kannur had mounted an attack on Achuthanandan in the central committee meeting. She had complained against Achuthanandan for putting her in poor light in relation to a sensational sex scandal. G Sudhakaran: Joined the Cabinet as a Vijayan nominee,still in that company. The state Co-operation Minister has never minced words for coming down on Achuthanandan,his one-time mentor in Alappuzha district. Though battling with Thomas Issac,also from Alappuzha,Sudhakaran manages to stick on to Vijayan camp. M Vijayakumar: Was a staunch VS loyalist of yesteryears. But as VS courted controversies,Vijayakumar,the Sports Minister,drifted away,but did not really embrace the rival side. In the latest political developments,Vijayakumar too adopted a middle path.
