Kerala ministry at risk as Pillai strips son of party post

CM intervenes to pacify Ganesh Kumar

Thiruvananthapuram Kerala’s United Democratic Front (UDF) ministry which enjoys the majority of just a single member in the Assembly landed in a fresh crisis when R. Balakrishna Pillai, chairman of the Kerala Congress (B), which is a constituent in the UDF, stripped his son of his party post.

Feeling humiliated, B. Ganesh Kumar, who is Kerala’s forest minister, threatened to resign from the ministry. However, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy saved the situation for the time being.

The family feud has aggravated after the senior Pillai got out of the jail where he landed in connection with a graft case.

Last week he met Chandy and demanded Ganesh Kumar’s expulsion from the ministry.

The current crisis unfolded at the top party leaders’ meeting which Pillai called in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday to elect new office bearers of the party. Though the meeting was scheduled to begin at 11am, he advanced it to 10.30am before the arrival of Ganesh Kumar who is the vice-president of the party.

By the time, Ganesh Kumar arrived, the selection of the off ice bearers was over, and he was left out. When he saw his son, he angrily alleged that the minister was taking decisions without consulting the party, and was ignoring all its directives.

He said the party had been only a ladder for his son to reach the ministerial post, and after reaching there he kicked it back. He said that since there was no ladder now, his son would fall to the ground from his current height.

Sharp attacks

E n c o u r a g e d by P i l - lai’s tirade, other leaders who addressed the meeting attacked Ganesh Kumar more sharply. When Ganesh Kumar stood up to clarify his stance, his father dissolved the meeting and drove off.

Ganesh Kumar said he did not need the party support, and he could win election as an independent.

Though the UDF leaders are making hectic efforts to broker peace between the warring duo, Pillai is not responding.

Sources close to him say that he is trying to get his son removed from the Assembly so that he can contest for the seat.