Backed by the masses, Kerala CM Satheesan remains formidable despite missing home ministry

Thiruvananthapuram: Having missed the home portfolio need not be considered as a setback for Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan as he is having the finance portfolio especially at a time when the state is going through acute financial crunches.

Moreover, mass support continues to be the biggest strength of Satheesan even as his opponents managed to get a dominance in the cabinet formation.

Former Congress chief minister Oommen Chandy neither had the home portfolio, nor the finance, except for brief periods. Chandy even came under judicial probe in connection with the Solar scam.

Even then Chandy's mass support remained high owing to his mass connect initiatives, like the Mass contact programme (Jana Samparka Paripadi), as Chief Minister.

Hence, Satheesan could also draw power from Chandy.

"Owing to the mass support that Satheesan enjoys, it won't be easy for his opponents to make any political moves against him with vested interests. But Satheesan is not given a blank cheque by the people. If he fails to deliver, he could also lose mass support as the people are watchful," says senior political analyst and social activist M N Karassery.

Satheesan could boost his mass support with initial decisions like scrapping the widely criticised SilverLine semi high-speed rail project and increasing the remunerations for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA workers).

However, the financial obligations of the government have increased , that too at a time of acute financial crisis. The state will also face major fiscal obligations owing to mass retirement of government employees and teachers this month.

Hence it will be a tight rope walk for Satheesan, especially in preparing his first budget.

Moreover, Satheesan is keeping the law portfolio with him, which sources point out as quite crucial as governments often come across critical remarks from courts in case of lapses in presenting cases.