Chief Minister of Kerala

This article is about information specific to the chief minister of Kerala. For generic information on the Indian chief minister system, see Chief Minister (India). For a list of chief ministers of the state, see List of Chief Ministers of Kerala.

Chief Minister of Kerala കേരള മുഖ്യ മന്ത്രി
Emblem of the Government of Kerala
Incumbent Oommen Chandy
Residence	Cliff House, Nanathancode, Thiruvananthapuram[1]
Appointer	Governor of Keralam
Term length	5 years
Inaugural holder	E. M. S. Namboodiripad
Formation	1957
Website	KeralaCM.gov.in

The Chief Minister of Kerala is the elected head of government of the state of Kerala, India. By the Constitution of India, the Chief minister is appointed by the Governor of the state.

Following the victory in Assembly elections held in April 2011 Oommen Chandy sworn-in as Chief Minister on 18 May 2011. Oommen Chandy is the 21st chief minister of the state.

Assembly election and appointment of Chief Minister

Election

After every five years State Election Commission of Kerala under the supervision of Election Commission of India conducts assembly elections in Kerala by universal adult suffrage, in which the Kerala's electorate choose the members of the Niyamasabha (or State Assembly). Aspirant member is either the nominee of any political party (recognized by the Election Commission of India) or run independently called Independent Candidate. In Kerala only two political alliances, UDF and LDF, traditionally always have been in the office.

Appointment of Cabinet and Chief Minister

To conceive the government, any party must have to won majority of assembly seats (the minimum count is 71). After that state governor invites the party for making the government within the limited period of time, in this period majority party's winning members have to choose their leader for the post of chief minister and other members of the cabinet. The selected leader of the assembly is appointed as the chief minister by the governor, who also administer the oath of office.

Eligibility

Article 84 of the Constitution sets the principle qualifications one must meet to be eligible to the office of the Chief Minister.

A Chief Minister must be:

• a citizen of India.
• should be a member of the Niyamasabha.
• minimum of the age of 30

A person shall not be eligible for election as Chief Minister if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State or under any local or other authority subject to the control of any of the said Governments.

Role and Power of the Chief Minister

The chief minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a legislative assembly. The chief minister selects and can dismiss other members of the cabinet; allocates posts to members within the Government; is the presiding member and chairman of the cabinet and is responsible for bringing proposal of legislation.

Office & facilities

Office of the Chief Minister

The Chief Minister's Office is located in Kerala Secretariat

The Executive Office of Chief Minister (CMO) is located on the third floor of the North Sandwich Block, of the Government Secretariat Complex in Thiruvananthapuram.^[1]. The Chief Minister also has a camp office in his residence, where public can meet him, after office hours.

In past, several Chief Ministers have conducted Janasamparkam Yogams (People Interactions Meetings), where the Chief Minister tours various towns and villages across Kerala and conducts special meetings with local publics, to hear their grievances and pass orders/decrees according to the merit.

Official residence

In fact there is no statutory permanent official residence for the chief minister of Kerala. But conventionally, chief ministers of Kerala do reside commonly in a residence namely the Cliff House located at Nanathancode in the capital. But there are chief ministers in the history who had chosen not to reside in the conventional residence, rather preferred to continue their own private residence at capital. In such case, the residence will be declared as official residence.

Official vehicle

The official State car of the chief minister carries the 'Kerala State 1' sign board instead of a license plate. For several decades, Ambassador, manufactured by the Hindustan Motors has been used as state cars all over India. This convention continues here too. Most of Kerala Chief Ministers trend to ignore use other modern vehicles as official vehicles, to avoid criticism of being extravagant. However during regimes of K. Karunakaran and E. K. Nayanar, both preferred to use luxury Mercedes Benz as state cars, which often called strong criticism from public for being extravagant at cost of state.

Portfolios

The constitution of India doesn't explicitly require that any minister of the council of ministers of a state should hold any portfolio. So this is applicable to the chief minister too. But, there are a certain set of portfolios which various chief ministers in Kerala have held in common, namely, the Home department, and General Administration. The Home department is usually controlled by the chief minister because it controls the Police Department of the state. This is largely because, the Police system is considered in post-British India as a power enforcing tool rather than an instrument for service. Hence whoever holds power would like to have control over the Police department. In the history of Kerala, certain chief ministers had to allow other minister to handle the Home department owing to the power equations of party/coalition politics.

Portfolio held by the present Chief Minister

• General Administration
• Department of Home and Interior Affairs (Law & Order, Police and Civil Defense)
• Department of Fisheries and Oceanography
• All India Administration Services
• Administration of Civil and Criminal Justice
• Department of Science and Technology & Scientific Institutes
• Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department
• Department of Elections,
• Crisis Management and Distress Relief,
• Inter State River Waters Monitoring Council,
• any other subjects/portfolios not handed by any other minister/specified

Selection process

See Chief Minister (India)#Selection process

Bearer of other offices

• The Government of Kerala being the major stake holder of the company, the chief minister of Kerala is the chairman of the board of directors of Cochin International Airport Limited.^[2].

Former chief ministers

Main article: List of Chief Ministers of Kerala

See also

• List of Chief Ministers of Kerala
• List of Chief Ministers in India
• Chief Minister (India)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Official web site of the Government of Kerala, Page on the Chief Minister
2. ^ CIAL, Board of Directors