THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Countering intensified moves in the Kerala Congress (M) to disqualify his assembly membership, estranged MLA P C George submitted a letter to Speaker N Sakthan on Monday, underscoring that any whip issued to him on behalf of the party is not valid. He had also sought the Speaker’s permission to cast his vote in the Assembly on an issue-based premise,instead of KC(M) directives.
In his letter, George pointed out that he is not part of the UDF constituent KC(M) now. He added that though he is entitled to participate in KC(M) legislature party meets as an MLA, he is not being invited. “The party has denied the basic right to me to air opinion on various topics. Only directions on voting in the assembly is being given,” George criticised.
George has put up a candidate for the Aruvikkara bypoll in the banner of Anti-Corruption Democratic Front (ACDF). Even campaign posters of K Das bears the MLA’s picture along with his ‘earthen pot’ symbol, which has given a golden chance for his critics to corner him. Already George is caught in a wrong wicket for his presence with Das, when he filed his nomination papers before the returning officer. He had inaugurated the election convention of the ACDF too,though he is technically an independent candidate only. George is making frantic moves to wither political upstaging ,after it has become certain that KC(M) supremo and Finance Minister K M Mani, may wield the axe soon. Aided by key leaders across the board in the outfit demanding measures to disqualify George and also to formally oust him from the party fold, Mani could not have a better time to nail the former.
Including Antony Raju, party state general secretary and George’s bitter critic, a three-member panel was constituted by the KC(M) steering committee meet held in Kochi to look into the scope of disqualifying the assembly membership of George,though the move was presented in a laced manner like his acts of omission and opposition.
Party general secretary Joy Abraham MP and Government Chief Whip Thomas Unniyadan are the other members in the panel.
