Kerala Varsity VC Selection Process Turns Murkier

Former MLA George Mercier has written to Sudheeran demanding the removal of Syndicate member B S Jyothi Kumar from the post of KPCC secretary

In a new twist to the Kerala University Vice-Chancellor selection process, a Congress former MLA has complained to KPCC president V M Sudheeran against another Congress leader and Syndicate member who petitioned the Governor against the selection process. This, despite a consensus within the UDF to select the next Vice-Chancellor from a particular community.

Former MLA George Mercier has written to Sudheeran demanding the removal of Syndicate member B S Jyothi Kumar from the post of KPCC secretary.

Jyothi Kumar had on Tuesday petitioned Governor Nikhil Kumar, who is the Chancellor of the University, against the alleged haste in selecting a person for the top post.

A search committee - comprising Chief Secretary E K Bharat Bhushan (representing the government), Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh (UGC representative) and N Narayanan Nair (Kerala University Senate representative) - had on Monday shortlisted three names for the post.

According to sources, the UDF leadership had reached a consensus on selecting a person from the Ezhava community to the top post for maintaining caste equations.

P K Radhakrishnan, professor, School of Chemical Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, was reportedly the government’s choice. The other nominees were V Prasannakumar, professor of Geology at Kerala University and S V Sudheer, director of the Academic Staff College, Kerala University.

Mercier, in his letter, contented that Jyothi Kumar as a KPCC secretary should have sought the permission of the party chief before submitting a petition “against the wishes of the party” to the Governor. The ex-MLA demanded the removal of Jyothi Kumar from the post of KPCC secretary.

According to sources, Mercier’s complaint is a fallout of the war between the ‘A’ and ‘I’ factions in the Congress.

The former MLA, who is an ‘A’ group leader, is seeking election to the University Senate from the trade union constituency which is being reportedly opposed by Jyothi Kumar of the ‘I’ faction.

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