Kerala politics heats up as BJP seeks resignations of CM Satheesan
The Kerala BJP has announced plans for protests targeting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leader V. D. Satheesan, ahead of the state Assembly session scheduled to begin on October 12.
Speaking in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, BJP state general secretary S. Suresh said the party wanted Satheesan to resign if the Congress was serious about its objections to the revision of electoral rolls and its campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The BJP also used a recent Kerala High Court order concerning allegations against Vijayan and members of his family to intensify its criticism of the state government.
On Friday, the High Court directed the state government to register a case based on a report submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to state police. The allegations concern payments made by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) to Exalogic Solutions, a company formerly associated with Vijayan’s daughter, Veena T.
The ED alleges that CMRL paid ₹2.78 crore under the guise of information technology consultancy services. The allegations also refer to Vijayan and his son-in-law, P. A. Muhammad Riyas, who is an MLA.
The allegations remain matters for investigation and legal proceedings; the court’s direction to register a case should not be interpreted as a finding of guilt.
Suresh argued that the developments had weakened the political standing of both Vijayan and Satheesan. He also accused the Congress leader of shielding the Chief Minister, charges that form part of the BJP’s political attack.
The party said its three legislators would take up the issue inside the Assembly, while a wider protest campaign was expected in the coming days.
With the Assembly session approaching, the developments are likely to sharpen political confrontations between the BJP, the ruling Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led opposition in Kerala.