Ex-Journo Veena George To Replace KK Shailaja as Kerala Health Min

KK Shailaja, the face of Kerala’s fight against Nipah and COVID-19, was dropped as health minister.

CPI(MP) leader and MLA Veena George.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

CPI(MP) leader and MLA Veena George will most likely be replacing KK Shailaja as the new health minister of Kerala, reports suggested on Wednesday, 19 May.

On 18 May, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Pinarayi Vijayan selected his cabinet, but dropped Shailaja, the face of Kerala’s fight against Nipah and COVID-19 during her stint as health minister. Instead, she will be appointed as the party’s whip.

Her replacement, George, has been a journalist and news anchor in various Malayalam news channels.

The 21-member Kerala Cabinet will take oath on Thursday, 20 May.

The first-time MLA from Beypore seat and CM Vijayan's son-in-law PA Mohammed Riyas will be the minister for Public Works Department (PWD), while KN Balagopal is the new Finance minister.

Meanwhile, another woman legislator R Bindu is set to be Kerala's new higher education minister.

Veena George – Gold Medallist, Journalist, Politician

The 45-year-old started her career as a journalist and worked with popular Malayalam news channels like Kairali TV, Manorama News and Reporter TV.

Her political career began as an activist of Students Federation of India (SFI) and of the student wing of the CPI(M). She is now a member of the CPI(M) Pathanamthitta area committee.

In 2016, George entered electoral politics and bagged a victory from Aranmula Assembly seat. Five years later, she was re-elected from the same constituency in the Pathanamthitta district after defeating Congress’ Sivadasan Nair by a margin of 7,646 votes.

She is a rank holder of MSc (Physics) and BEd. Her husband, Dr George Joseph, is a higher secondary school teacher and has served as secretary of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. They have two children.

‘Very Good Decision’: KK Shailaja

Calling it, “a very good decision”, Shailaja told ANI, “It’s a very good thing that a new Cabinet is coming now. Everyone should get an opportunity.”

In an interview with NDTV, Shailaja responded to the move saying, “It is a policy decision of our party. So, according to that decision, I decided to quit.” There has been a massive outpour on social media against the decision slamming Vijayan for being a ‘shrewd politician’ and some even campaigning ‘#ShailajaForPM’

Referring to the social media outpour against the decision, Shailaja said that “that’s all emotional”.

Popularly known as ‘Teacher’, Shailaja won by a margin of 61,035 votes – considered the highest in the recent electoral history in recent times – from the Mattannur Assembly constituency. Her victory margin is even bigger than that of Chief Minister-elect Pinarayi Vijayan.