THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Call it the Monday mayhem. The LDF Government, which has been having enough reasons to worry, be it due to the Sabarimala issue or nepotism rows, saw more disturbance on its way on the day. And the only way out was ‘exit’ for three prominent names.
While the CPM, the major constituent in the front, suspended Shoranur MLA P K Sasi from the party for six months following sex-abuse charges, Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas had to resign after Janata Dal (S) national leadership asked him to relinquish the post and make way for his party colleague K Krishnankutty.
Elsewhere, the Kerala Assembly notified Muslim League’s K M Shaji has ceased to be an MLA in the wake of the High Court order. Though it had stayed its verdict until November 23, neither HC or SC extended it.
The biggest of them obviously was the Sasi issue. The party observed his behaviour was unbecoming of a senior CPM leader. Though suspended, he can still attend the Assembly session starting on Tuesday, confirmed the Speaker’s office.
Kerala Assembly has notified that K M Shaji has ceased to be an MLA in the wake of the High Court order.
“The High Court in its order on November 9 had declared K M Shaji’s election as invalid. But the court had stayed its verdict until November 23. The HC or the SC did not extend the stay later. Hence, he has ceased to be an MLA since November 24,” Legislative Secretary V K Babu Prakash said.
Shaji’s win in the 2016 Assembly elections from Azhikode was declared invalid by the High Court based on a petition by M V Nikesh Kumar alleging that he had indulged in campaigning on communal lines. The IUML MLA was barred from contesting polls for six years. He was also asked to pay `50,000 as costs to the petitioner.