The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : LDF State committee to discuss Kerala Congress(J) issue

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Monday, Oct 08, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

LDF State committee to discuss Kerala Congress(J) issue

Special Correspondent

KC(J) could not name nominee on September 30
Surendran Pillai, Mons Joseph are frontrunners

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State committee of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) will meet here on Monday to discuss, among other things, the inability of the Kerala Congress (J) to propose the name of a person who could be inducted into the Cabinet in place of T.U. Kuruvilla who resigned last month.

The party was expected to suggest a name on September 30.

The KC(J) leadership had boldly announced the decision to suggest a new name by then in the hope that party chairman P.J. Joseph would be cleared of the charge of misbehaviour towards a woman co-passenger while on a journey from Chennai to Kochi by flight.

The party later changed its self-imposed deadline and submitted a letter last week to Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan urging him to give it some more time to suggest a name. Since the Chennai police had sought more time to submit its investigation report and the Chief Minister had made it known that a judicial inquiry was likely even if Mr. Joseph got a clean chit from Chennai, the KC(J) would have no other option but to come up with a fresh name for Minister. The KC(J) leadership is caught in a spot here because it is not easy to pick one from the remaining two MLAs, V. Surendran Pillai and Mons Joseph.

Although both have foresworn any interest in becoming a Minister in the LDF Cabinet, there is a strong tussle going on in the party on their behalf. In the current circumstances, the section that has been clamouring for Mr. Joseph’s return cannot but give in to the demands of these two sections.

The KC(J) chairman will arrive here only on Monday and a leadership meeting of the party is expected to be held.

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