The Hindu : Front Page : JD(S) fields Rufus Daniel in Kovalam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 04, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

JD(S) fields Rufus Daniel in Kovalam

Special Correspondent

Neelalohithadasan Nadar resigns as MLA, to contest as Independent

STEPPING DOWN: Neelalohithadasan Nadar coming out of the Legislature Secretariat after submitting his resignation. Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With barely hours left for the deadline for filing nominations for the first phase of polling in the coming Assembly election, the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) got its first serious rebel candidate in former Minister A. Neelalohithadasan Nadar, who submitted his resignation from the Assembly and filed nomination papers to contest as an independent candidate in the Kovalam constituency in Thiruvananthapuram district.

Speaking to reporters after submitting his resignation to Legislature secretary M. C. Valson here on Monday morning, Dr. Nadar accused the Janata Dal (Secular) leadership of having played into the hands of `certain vested interests' in the party and deserted him in his hour of crisis. He alleged that both the LDF and the JD(S) had betrayed him despite his long years of service for both.

The former Minister, who was convicted in the two sexual harassment cases, claimed that the verdicts in both the cases were subject to judicial review and that he was confident that he would be able to get them reviewed in course of time.

The LDF State committee, which met here on Sunday, had communicated to the JD(S) leadership its displeasure about the JD(S) decision to field Dr. Nadar in Kovalam. The JD(S) leadership went on an overdrive late Monday evening and came up with a replacement for Mr. Nadar in Rufus Daniel, a former president of the Venganoor panchayat, which falls within the Kovalam Assembly constituency. The party also suspended Mr. Nadar from its primary membership. Mr. Daniel, who began his political career as an SFI activist, had left a strong mark as panchayat president.

But there was no end to the woes of the Kerala Congress (J), in search of a replacement for Antony Raju, its nominee in Thiruvananthapuram West, who has been accused of involvement in the manipulation of evidence in a narcotic case resulting in the acquittal of the main accused a decade ago. Although the KC(J) leadership had put up a brave front on Sunday after receipt of an ultimatum from the CPI(M) leadership, they were unable to find a replacement for Mr. Raju till Monday evening.

Nominations for first phase of polling ends on Tuesday.

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