Kerala’s Next ‘Corona Slayer’? Former TV Anchor Veena George Likely To Be Health Minister In New Pinarayi Cabinet

Former TV anchor Veena George is likely to the next Health Minister of Kerala. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s new cabinet will take oath on Thursday (May 20).

Touted as ‘Corona Slayer’ by a section of media, current Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja did not find a place in new LDF cabinet after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, fresh from a thumping reelection win, decided not to continue with any ministers in his cabinet and induct only new faces. The CPM will have 12 ministers in the cabinet.

Veena George, who began her political career as an activist of Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPI(M), served as a news presenter in various Malayalam TV Channels including Kairali, Manorama and Indiavision . Her husband Dr George Joseph, a higher secondary school teacher, has served as secretary of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.

Veena George plunged in to electoral politics during 2016 Kerala assembly elections . She contested from Aranmula in the Christian-dominated Pathanamthitta district and defeated her Congress rival K Sivadasan Nair. She was re-elected from the same constituency in 2019.

In 2018, Veena George courted controversy after Kerala police has arrested a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker for a Facebook posting of a dilapidated bus stand in Aranmula constituency in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district and seeking action from Veena George.

Sooraj was arrested after George filed a complaint with the police alleging that it was a communally provocative and insulted women. Sooraj was later released on bail. Despite the case, Sooraj refused to delete his post.