MLAs who aren’t in the clear

KOCHI: Five MLAs face corruption charges and three others cheating cases. As the state heads for assembly elections, the big question is whether sitting legislators against whom criminal and other cases are pending will be fielded or supported by parties again and what message it will send out to people

 Corruption cases against ministers and legislators are not new in Kerala. In the present assembly itself, five legislators are facing corruption charges and three others cheating cases. At a time when political parties have all initiated discussions to finalise candidates for the coming assembly elections, it’s still a million dollar question whether political parties will again put up MLAs who have been facing corruption and criminal cases as candidates.

“The political parties must take a strong stand that those with corruption charges or allegations should not be made a candidate for the polls. Political parties have a commitment to the people and they should take such a decision. Even if there is a prima facie corruption charge against a political leader, he or she should be denied a seat,” said former Kerala High Court Justice B Kemal Pasha. He said people nowadays easily forget all corruption allegations by falling for freebies and the communal card played by the political parties.  

Anti-corruption movement groups in the state say that they will be launching a campaign against those legislators if they become candidates again. Though political parties have a justification that many of the cases are registered against sitting MLAs on false charges and a mere corruption allegation shall not be considered a deterrent against their candidature, there are strong suggestions within main political parties that the MLAs facing cases should be dropped from the candidate list. 

“The fight will be intense this time. The selection committee has to really look into the profile of each candidate before finalising the list,” said a senior Congress leader. “In the last assembly polls, we could take up a campaign against candidates who faced corruption charges and this was one of the reasons for their defeat. Though we decided to undertake campaigns in Pala, Puthuppally, Tripunithura and Kochi, we could do that only in Tripunithura and Kochi. However, it yielded results,” said Anti-Corruption People’s Movement founding secretary John Joseph.

  On the wrong side

Legislators in the current assembly facing cases as per a statement submitted by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the House

Vigilance cases
V S Sivakumar, Congress (probe on) Case: Amassing wealth disproportionate to known sources of income 
V K Ibrahim Kunju, IUML (probe on) Case: Receiving kickbacks in Palarivattom flyover project
K M Shaji, IUML (probe on)
Case: Charge of having accepted a bribe of B25 lakh from private school management in Kannur for sanctioning Plus-II course  
P Unni, CPM (Probe completed. Report being evaluated) Case: Corruption allegations when he was a member of the director board of Malabar Cements 
U Prathibha, CPM (Probe stayed by Kerala High Court)
Case: Corruption allegations in connection with the construction of Gender Park in Alappuzha while she was district panchayat president

Cheating cases
M C Kamaruddin, IUML (probe on) Case: Accused of multi-crore Fashion Gold jewellery cheating scam 
P V Anvar, LDF-backed independent (probe on)
Case: Accused of financial fraud based on a case filed by an NRI businessman
E S Bijimol, CPI (probe on)
Case: Facing charges for assaulting an ADM and obstructing him from discharging his duties. Bijimol’s husband is also facing a cheating case and there have been allegations of her involvement.

Corruption cases from previous UDF tenure

Solar case involving former CM Oommen Chandy
Bar bribery case involving Congress leader and former excise minister K Babu