With the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State unit reportedly not favouring Janata Dal (Secular) legislator Jose Thettayil’s immediate resignation over allegations of sexual misdemeanour, the possibility of the former Minister vacating his Angamaly seat in the Kerala Assembly appears to be remote.
While the Communist Party of India (CPI )State executive committee, which met here on Friday, chose to stick the view that the JD(S) leadership should take a stand on the issue, the CPI(M) State leadership is reported to have conveyed to the JD(S) leaders that Mr. Thettayil need not resign for the time being.
Party State unit secretary Pinarayi Vijayan is stated to have communicated the party’s stand to JD(S) State president Mathew T. Thomas during their meeting in Kozhikode on Friday.
The CPI leaders are of the view that it will be better for Mr. Thettayil to step down, but they are unable to say so with clarity given the implications of such a decision for the alliance as a whole.
Poll result uncertain
Mr. Thettayil’s resignation would mean a by-election in the Angamaly constituency. There is no guarantee that the outcome of an electoral contest under the present circumstances would go in favour of the Left Democratic Front (LDF).
That is something that the Opposition can ill-afford when the Lok Sabha elections are just a year away.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala on Friday dared the LDF to ask Mr. Thettayil to put in his papers and face a by-election in the Angamaly constituency. He did so out of confidence about the difficult situation that the LDF faces.
The CPI(M) State secretariat, meeting here on Saturday, is likely to take up the issue.
Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan is likely to press his demand for Mr. Thettayil’s resignation at the meeting, but whether that by itself will help change the party’s collective position is not certain.
