THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The defeat of Minister K B Ganesh Kumar in the assembly election has triggered widespread celebrations among driving school owners across Kerala. At test grounds in Muttathara, Attingal and Karunagappally, the atmosphere was jubilant as owners burst firecrackers and distributed sweets in front of the minister’s photograph.
This public display of joy followed a major political upset in Pathanapuram, where Congress candidate Jyothi Kumar Chamakkala defeated Ganesh Kumar by a margin of 8,310 votes, ending a winning streak that had lasted since 2001.
According to Nazar Usman, general secretary of the Motor Driving Owners Koottayma, the celebrations are expected to spread to test grounds across the entire state. He noted that the industry’s resentment stems from the heavy financial damages inflicted by the minister’s policies.
Usman specifically highlighted the fierce resistance against Ganesh’s attempts to introduce corporate-style driving test centres, which owners argued were designed to favour wealthy investors while pushing small-scale operators out of business.
The celebration was the culmination of a bitter, two-year feud between the minister and driving school associations. Since taking charge in 2024, Ganesh’s aggressive reforms, which included tightening test norms and strictly limiting the number of daily tests, were viewed by many as a direct assault on small-scale driving schools.
Adding to the tension was the minister’s launch of KSRTC driving schools. While popular for their lower fees, private owners alleged that the suspiciously high pass percentages at these government-run centres were a result of the minister’s influence to dismantle private competition.
“Despite his tall claims of creating modern facilities, the minister failed to ensure proper grounds in many locations, leaving us to maintain them ourselves,” one owner said. He further alleged that the minister was too arrogant to hold consultations or address genuine industry concerns. Since taking charge in 2024, Ganesh and the schools remained at loggerheads, sparking a series of protests in front of the Secretariat by the Driving School Owners Samithi and the All Kerala Motor Driving School Instructors and Workers Association. The Muttathara ground itself had served as the venue for several symbolic protests during this period.