Thiruvananthapuram: Transport minister Thomas Chandy on Wednesday stepped down after a controversial term lasting less than eight months.
The decision followed the high court strictures on Tuesday against him and the no-nonsense approach adopted by the second biggest coalition partner of the ruling front, the CPI.
The fate of the NCP leader was sealed after Alappuzha collector T. V. Anupama indicted him for paddy conversion and wetland filling.
The nearly three-month-long controversy also brought to the fore, the sharp differences between CPM and CPI which handles the revenue portfolio.
Mr Chandy, the wealthiest MLA with assets worth Rs 92.37 crores, is the third minister to resign from the 18-month-old LDF government.
Earlier industries minister E. P. Jayarajan had to quit on nepotism charges and C. K. Saseendran after a honey trap. He left for Alappuzha in his official vehicle with the police escort after entrusting his resignation letter to NCP state president T. P. Peethambaran Master.
The chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, later forwarded the letter to Governor P. Sathasivam who accepted it.
The seventy-year-old was left with no option after chief minister reportedly told him at the morning meeting in Cliff House that it would be proper for him to resign.
NCP sought time to discuss the issue with their national leaders Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel, and after getting their approval, they conveyed the party decision to Mr Vijayan.
It took almost five hours after the Cliff House meeting for Mr Chandy to finally step down.
Even after resigning, he continued to maintain that he was not guilty of encroachment or any other violations as cited in the collector’s report. He said he would move Supreme Court on Thursday to get the adverse observations of the high court removed.
Meanwhile, Peethambaran Master clarified that the resignation was not conditional.
“It is a resignation, and that’s that. There are no conditions attached to it,” he said.
When asked about Mr Chandy’s statement that he would be back in Cabinet after coming clean, he said: “It is only a natural course.”
To a question whether Mr Saseendran would be the first choice if he gets cleared, he said that too was natural.
Mr Chandy had also made this clear that whosoever gets cleared by the court first would be the minister. In case if Mr Saseendran is cleared subsequently, Mr Chandy would pave the way for his installation.
The high voltage political drama began at 8 am with Chandy accompanied by Peethambaran Master calling on Mr Vijayan at his residence. After the meeting that lasted less than 30 minutes, the duo left without speaking to media present in full strength.
The focus then shifted to Secretariat where the Cabinet meeting was scheduled to begin at 9 am. With Mr Chandy arriving in the cabinet room, revenue minister E. Chandrasekharan sent a note to the chief minister conveying the CPI decision to stay away.
All four CPI ministers were present at Mr Chandrasekharan’s chamber till the Cabinet meeting got over.
The tough stand of CPI also reflected in their mouthpiece Janayugam which asked the tainted minister to resign without waiting even for a minute.
The focus shifted to chief minister’s conference hall which was chockablock with media persons. Everyone expected him to announce Chandy’s resignation.
A detached Mr Vijayan announced Cabinet decisions on the reservation for economically poor among the forward communities in Devaswom recruitment and increase in retirement age of doctors.
In response to a question, he said the demand for Chandy’s resignation was not discussed in Cabinet. However, he fielded most questions related to the issue and the CPI’s protest.
