With reports on Saturday suggesting that the CPI(M) too is getting impatient with the crisis over the allegations against Transport Minister Thomas Chandy dragging on, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) began showing signs that its resolve to back the Minister to the hilt might be cracking.
Talking to reporters here, NCP State president T.P. Peethambaran said his party did not see any reason for Mr. Chandy to step down as none of the charges against him had been proved as yet. The Transport Minister had met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, presented all the relevant papers to him and given all the necessary explanations. The Chief Minister, he pointed out, was also in receipt of the Advocate General’s advice in the matter and could arrive at his own conclusions.
However, replying to questions from reporters, the NCP State president said former Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran, who had to vacate office following allegations of sexual harassment from a woman journalist, would return to the post once the accusation against him was withdrawn and the related cases were settled.
Party Secretariat to decide
Mr. Chandy had himself announced this at the time of assuming office as Minister that he would step down once Mr. Saseendran was cleared of the charges against him. The party had not discussed the issue as the matter had not reached such a stage. Meanwhile, the CPI(M) State committee authorised the party State secretariat to take an appropriate decision in the matter.
At the party State committee meeting, many members reportedly pointed to the adverse political fallout of the ongoing controversy and agitations over the allegations of encroachment of public land and backwaters by Mr. Chandy’s resort. There was no detailed discussion on the subject though.
Top CPI leaders said they would raise the issue in strong terms at the LDF State committee meeting on Sunday and expected the CPI(M) also to take firm stance on the issue as the controversy was proving costly for the alliance as a whole. The Minister, they felt, had hurt himself with his outburst against his detractors at a public meeting addressed by CPI State secretary Kanam Rajendran and by approaching the Kerala High Court against the report submitted to the government by the Alappuzha District Collector.