Now the Kerala Congress is expecting an “honourable accommodation” with cabinet rank for party president PJ Joseph

PJ Joseph, President of Kerala Congress.

Following this, the Kerala Cabinet surprised many in the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) leadership by approving the appointment of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader MK Muneer as the Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission and All India Forward Bloc leader G. Devarajan as the State’s Special Representative in Delhi, both of which were accorded similar status to that of the Congress elevated to Kerala. chairman PJ Josef immediately.

Water Resources Minister and Party Executive Chairman Mons Joseph said the issue of providing Mr. Joseph with “honorable accommodation” in view of his seniority in the UDF was well resolved. “We had raised it much earlier and were assured that the Congress would hold bilateral talks with the KC to settle it. We did not ask for a specific position and it is up to the government to finalize a suitable post for it. It would be better to be clear about it as soon as possible,” he told The Hindu over phone.

Mr. Mons Joseph said that it was decided earlier that all discussions on allotment of political posts to UDF partners would be through bilateral discussions with the Congress. The KC was not unhappy with the sixth cabinet berth allotted to the IUML but wanted more frequent meetings of the UDF. “It is better to arrive at a decision through a consultative process. The UDF should meet regularly, which will help strengthen the unity of the coalition,” he said.

Senior panel

Reports indicate that the KC was hopeful that Mr. Joseph would be accommodated as the Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission. Now that the post has been allotted to Mr. Muneer, he hopes to get the post of Chairman of the State Senior Citizens Commission.

KC, with seven legislators, currently has Mr. Mons Joseph in the state cabinet while Apu John Joseph, MLA and son of Mr. PJ Joseph, is the government Chief Whip, a post with cabinet rank.

Published – 02 Oct 2026 19:56 IST