No one need to be emotional, it was CPI-M which made me a minister, says KK Shailaja

Thiruvananthapuram: After being denied a second term as Minister, former Health Minister K.K. Shailaja on Tuesday reacted that all that she did during last five year period is not her merit but it was team work.

"It was the CPI-M which made me a Minister. It was because of the excellent team work. Also it's not me alone who has been left out. None of my party colleagues who were ministers has been selected this time. I am sure the new person will be able to perform better than me," said Shailaja before bidding good bye to the media.

In the crucial State Committee meeting of the CPI-M held on Tuesday Shailaja saw just seven seeking a second term for her, with the remaining almost 70 giving Vijayan the freedom to go for a new team, reports IANS

Emerging from the party meeting Shailaja was quiet for a while but finally broke her silence and said there is no need for anyone to get emotional about this.

Numerous trolls came out in social media, criticising the party's decision,when the news came out. Soon came the defence of Politburo member M.A. Baby who said the people voted in the state for the Left government.

"The decision was unanimous that there can be a new team and just see that ministers like M. M. Mani and four others like Shailaja were not renominated. So that was the decision which was implemented. Just look, five seasoned veteran ministers were not given a seat. I am optimistic that just like the people in Kerala accepted dropping so many sitting legislators, they will accept this decision also," said Baby.

Shailaja's name was widely believed to be certain after she won with the highest recorded margin of victory in the state from the Mattannur assembly seat in her home town Kannur with over 60,000 votes. This was on top of the public appreciation of her performance as health minister in managing multiple health emergencies in the state like the nIpah and H1N1 virus outbreaks and the current corona pandemic.

All through till Tuesday morning the news going around was that it would only be Shailaja who will get another term. She could be given a promotion and might be appointed the Speaker and would become the first woman in the state to occupy that chair. That also failed to materialise as the party chose M. B. Rajesh.

Meanwhile the national leadership of the party has conveyed its displeasure at the manner in which Shailaja was dropped, but given the present stature of Vijayan all this is likely to die down soon.

Vijayan's customary press meet to announce the day's Covid figures did not take place on Tuesday evening, in the likelihood of there being be a few uncomfortable questions.