Thiruvananthapuram
The Kerala Congress (M) which has been under pressure ever since the liquor bar bribery allegation was raised against its supremo, K.M. Mani, reeled under further stress on Friday as the party vice-chairman and government chief whip, P.C. George considered resignation.
George has been a thorn in the body of the party, criticising the party from within, but party chief Mani made a bold move on Thursday, hinting at disciplinary action against him. The party chief was reportedly insistent that George step down from his post as government chief whip.
Taking the hint, George met Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday, reportedly with his resignation letter. However, after a series of meetings involving the chief minister, Industry Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty and Mani himself, a final decision on removing George from his post has been deferred.
Though George has not gone ahead with the resignation, indications are that Mani is insistent on removing George from the chief whip’s post. Ever since the allegation surfaced about Mani taking a bribe of Rs10 million (Dh584,445) from liquor bar owners, George had adopted an ambivalent stance, unlike others in the Kerala Congress (M) who rallied behind their leader.
George also opened another battle front within the party, attacking Mani’s son and parliamentarian from Kottayam, Jose K. Mani. George alleged that Mani was attempting to thrust his son as the next leader in the party, without taking into consideration the contributions of several other senior leaders.
Taking head on the challenge from Mani to remove him as chief whip, George responded in characteristic fashion that no one dare threaten him. “It was not Mani who gave me the chief whip’s post, it was the United Democratic Front that gave it”, George said. He also alleged that the demand to remove him from the chief whip’s post had not been a unanimous decision.
Meanwhile, speculation is rife that George may leave the Kerala Congress (M) party but revive the Kerala Congress (Secular) faction and continue with the ruling United Democratic Front.
