(VM) Finally, wedding bells to ring for Kerala's woman minister

Seven years after being engaged to her childhood friend Anil Kumar, P.K. Jayalekshmi, the lone woman minister in Kerrala's Congress-led United Democratic Front government, is finally set to tie the knot on May 10.

Despite their marriage being fixed seven years ago, the special day kept lingering all these years for various reasons. Now, the parents of the prospective bride and groom, have decided there would be no more dilly-dallying.

So, why the delay? An aide said Jayalekshmi is one person who hardly speaks and given this, her family members too hold their counsel.

"I have been with her since she became a minister and her calmness and quietness has always baffled me, because I have seen lot of women politicians. Forget her getting angry, I am yet to even hear her raise her voice," the aide told IANS, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Her prospective groom is a relative of hers and they have known each other since childhood. In the past four years, I have not even seen him. She is yet to invite us, but we are all sure she will surely invite us for the marriage," the aide added.

Jayalekshmi, the minister for welfare of scheduled tribe, youth affairs and museum and zoos, had created history four years ago at 29 years of age by becoming the first person from the tribal community to be inducted. This was after she won her debut election from the reserved Manathavady assembly constituency in Wayanad district.

Belonging to the Kurichiya tribe, Jayalekshmi is a graduate with a diploma in computers. Her fiance is a farmer.

The wedding ceremony will be held at Manathavady town, 56o km from here and will be attended by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and his cabinet colleagues.