Enhancing the possibilities of a reshuffle of the State Cabinet, Kerala's Assembly Speaker G Karthikeyan of the Congress on Friday announced his wish to resign from the post in order to be active in political work.
"I've asked the party for permission to resign as Speaker. It is now up to the party to take a decision. I have already expressed my wish to step down to senior leader AK Antony, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and State Congress president VM Sudheeran," Karthikeyan told newsmen at Thiruvananthapuram in a five-minute Press meet.
"I am a political animal and am in politics since I was 14 years old. All the positions that I have held were given by the party. And now I am not quitting the Speaker's post in order to occupy any other higher position. Though the position of the Speaker has its greatness, it is my wish to be active in politics," Karthikeyan said.
The Speaker said that he had worked in that capacity for three years as per the instruction of the Congress party, adding that he was now speaking to the Press on this because he wanted to avoid all possible controversies. Sources in the Congress said that Karthikeyan might quit as Speaker within a week.
Chief Minister Chandy said in Kasaragod that Karthikeyan had spoken to him about his wish. "He had been an active politician and he is now feeling that the Speaker's job is keeping him away from active politics. However, it is up to the high command to take a decision," he said.
Karthikeyan had first informed the party leadership of his wish to quit as Speaker after the results of the lok Sabha election were announced. In Aruvikkara —the Assembly segment he represents — the Congress candidate in Attingal lok Sabha seat had trailed behind the left's candidate by over 4,500 votes and this is said to be one of the reasons for his decision to be active in politics.
When Karthikeyan quits as Speaker, the Chief Minister will be forced to accommodate him in the Cabinet and Congress leaders expressed confidence that this would indeed be done.
Karthikeyan had come to the Congress through its students' union, KSU, when he was just 14 years old. He was a staunch loyalist of Indira Gandhi and former chief minister K Karunakaran in the 1970s but had left the Karunakaran camp later over ideological differences. Congress leaders said his service as Speaker had been excellent.
The announcement of wish to resign as Speaker by Karthikeyan has effectively enhanced the possibility of a reshuffle of the Cabinet by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who had even before the lok Sabha polls announced that there would be a reshuffle after the poll results were announced.
When Karthikeyan quits as Speaker, the Chief Minister will be forced to accommodate him in the Cabinet and Congress leaders expressed confidence that this would indeed be done. However, one of the Congress ministers will have to resign as the Cabinet already has the maximum stipulated number of Ministers.
There were speculations that KC Joseph, presently Cultural Affairs Minister and a confidant of the Chief Minister, could be made the Speaker after Karthikeyan's resignation. But Congress sources said on Friday that this might not happen and that a prominent MlA could be chosen to the post of Speaker.
Chandy has several times stated his desire to reshuffle the Cabinet but a vast majority in the Congress is against it. Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, leader of the 'I' group in the State Congress, is against a reshuffle and so is PCC chief Sudheeran but the Chief Minister is said to be firm in his plan.
The Chief Minister, heading the 'A' group in the party, is reportedly planning to bring down the prominence of the 'I' group in the Cabinet by reallocating some of the important portfolios like Revenue and Health to his trusted lieutenants.