OR Kelu, New Minister For Welfare Of Scheduled Caste/Tribe

Thiruvananthapuram :  Mananthavadi MLA, O.R. Kelu, is being appointed to the post left vacant by K Radhakrishnan as Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Caste/Tribe. The replacement follows K Radhakrishnan’s elation as MP following general elections.

Another portfolio, the Devaswom dept, left behind by K Radhakrishnan will be dealt by VN Vasavan while Parliamentary Affairs, also vacant similarly, will be handled by MB Rajesh. The decisions came about in the CPI(M) State Committee meeting in the capital.

OR Kelu has been an active presence as  as people’s representative for past 20 years,  starting in 2000 as Grama Panchayat member in Edayoorkunn ward  of Tirunelli Grama Panchayat. He is the first Scheduled Tribe leader from Wayanad district to join CPI(M) State Committee and was State President to the party’s Tribal Welfare Committee.

.About: OR Kelu belongs to the Kurichya community and is Chairperson to the Assembly Committee for Welfare of SC/ST and Backward community. He is also on the Management Board of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University.

In 2005 and later in 2010, OR Kelu has served to be Panchayat President in Tirunelli for 10  years straight. . He later became member of Mananthavadi Block Panchayat from Tirunelli Division.

In 2016 Assembly elections, he became MLA for Mananthavadi Constituency after defeating then minister PK Jayalakshmi. He was elected from Mananthavadi once again in 2021 elections. Wife : Shanta. Children : Midhuna and Bhavana.