'State committees decide who will be in cabinet'

Thiruvananthapuram 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 KK 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.