Veena George likely to be next health minister of Kerala: Reports

Veena George is likely to be the next health and social welfare minister of Kerala, sources said on Wednesday. She will replace the well-regarded and hugely popular KK Shailaja, who received national and international accolades for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic but was unable to find a place in Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s new cabinet.

A formal announcement regarding George’s appointment is expected soon, the sources told The Federal.

George was first elected to the Kerala assembly in 2016. This year she retained her seat by defeating K Sivadasan Nair of the Congress by a margin of 19,003 votes. Prior to joining politics, she worked with major Malayalam news channels for more than 16 years.

A rank holder of MSc (Physics) and BEd, George began her political career as an activist of the Students Federation of India, the student wing of the CPI-M.

Her husband Dr George Joseph, with whom she has two children, is a higher secondary school teacher who has served as secretary of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.

Also read: CPI(M)’s red card for Shailaja can set an example for insecure masculinity

Many prominent women, including writers and film actors, swiftly blamed the “inherent patriarchy” within the CPI-M for the decision. The hashtag ‘bring our Shailaja teacher back’ that began with tweets made by WCC (Women in Cinema) members such as Geetu Mohandas and Parvathy Thiruvoth also went viral.

Writer-activist and Congress’ Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor also tweeted against the CPI-M’s decision.

“Sorry to see Shailaja Teacher leave the Kerala cabinet. Aside from her reputed competence and efficiency, I always found her helpful, responsive and accessible as Health Minister, especially during the COVID crisis. She will be missed,” Tharoor wrote.

The chief minister and new ministers will take oath on Thursday. The ruling LDF had swept the April 6 polls, winning 99 of the 140 seats.