The Kerala Congress (M) of tainted State Finance Minister KM Mani, third biggest constituent of the Congress-led ruling UDF, will soon expel former Government chief whip PC George, one of the nine MlAs of the party, over the charge of indiscipline and for fielding own candidate for the June 27 Assembly by-election in Aruvikkara, Thiruvananthapuram.
“George is continuing with his acts that violate party discipline. The fielding of a candidate by him against the UDF nominee in the by-poll is the latest among those acts. This cannot be allowed anymore,” said KC(M) general secretary Antony Raju. The KC(M) is expected to take a final decision on the matter at the meeting of its steering committee in Kochi on Sunday.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had in April removed George — known as his personal troubleshooter earlier — as Government Chief Whip as demanded by Mani, the KC(M) chairman. Mani came to that decision as George continued to publicly demand his resignation as Minister over the bar bribery scam and the charge that he had been “selling” Budget proposals for money.
Mani, the senior-most Minister in the UDF Government, is accused in a Vigilance case pertaining to the charge that he had taken
Rs1 crore as bribe from the State’s bar owners. He is also accused of taking crores of rupees by leaking out Budget proposals to interested business sectors.
“I am very happy if they have taken the decision to expel me. This is what I have myself been demanding,” George said on Friday, adding that he was ready for no compromise with Mani. “I have no interest to be in association with these dacoits. I had stayed on with them so far only because some people, including Antony Raju, insisted,” he said.
Even after removing him as chief whip, Mani was not prepared to expel him from the party because his Assembly membership was of crucial value to the Government which was surviving on a thin majority of just three MlAs. Mani’s plan was to trap George with provisions of the Anti-Defection law if he resigned as MlA.
The decision of the KC(M) to expel George from the primary membership is on the basis of a statement made by Chandy the other day. While electioneering in Aruvikkara, he said it was up to the KC(M) to decide on what to do with George who had fielded a candidate against the ruling front’s nominee, KS Sabarinath for the Assembly by-poll.
The Anti-Corruption Democratic Committee floated by George, which has the support of several backward communities in Aruvikkara, has fielded K Das as its candidate allegedly with the sole intention of ensuring the defeat of the UDF nominee. George has openly said that his forum’s fight in Aruvikkara is against the corrupt UDF though he is still part of it technically.
George, MlA from his home constituency Poonjar, is expected to revive his old party, Kerala congress (Secular) which had merged with the KC(M) a few years ago. “George had gone out of the KC(M), a confederation of three Kerala Congress groups, long ago. If they expel him now, it is only technical,” said Malayath Prathapan, a confidant of George.
Observers are of the opinion that George may now try to strike an alliance with the CPI(M)-led lDF, now in Opposition, of which his KC(S) was a part earlier. On Friday, State CPI(M) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that the lDF’s approach towards George would depend on the position he would take on the UDF.