E.P. JayarajanThiruvananthapuram: In a big blow to the five-month-old CPM-led LDF government in Kerala, industries minister E.P. Jayarajan on Friday resigned from the cabinet in the wake of the raging appointment row.
His resignation from the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet came after a CPM state secretariat meeting, which permitted him to take the decision.
Coming out of the meeting, Jayarajan told reporters, "Now you people are happy. Isn't it?"
Timeline of Pinarayi confidant EP Jayarajan's fall
State party secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said Jayarajan wanted to be allowed to put in his papers to "uphold the image of the party and set an exemplary model in contrast to the previous Congress-led UDF government".
The Kannur strongman and the number two in the cabinet, Jayarajan had admitted before the secretariat that he had committed a 'mistake' by appointing a close relative in a PSU in the industries department and sought permission to resign.
Jayarajan, considered close to chief minister Pinarayi, was in the eye of a storm over appointment of P.K. Sudheer Nambiar, his nephew and son of Kannur MP P K Sreemathi, as the managing director of Kerala Industrial Enterprises Ltd.
His appointment was later quashed by the government.
Another appointment, that of Deepthi Nishad, Jayarajan's brother's daughter-in-law, had also become controversial. She had resigned two days ago.
Jayarajan, who had successfully contested from Mattannur in northern Kannur district, was a member of the legislative assembly from 1991-96. From 2011 onwards, he was an MLA.
Denial mode, delaying tactics bode ill for CPM
To a question if CPM would take any action against Jayarajan, Kodiyeri said he was a member of party central committee and any party action would be decided by the central leadership.
"CPM is against any illegal appointments. However, party does not think that being a relative of a leader is a disqualification to get a job in government service."
In Jayarajan's case, this decision was taken due to the seriousness of the issue, he said.
Kodiyeri also attacked both Congress-led UDF and BJP government at the Center, alleging that their ministers were involved in controversies, but none of them had resigned.
Vigilance orders probe into nepotism row
Indicating that things were not rosy for Jayarajan, party general secretary Sitaram Yechury had indicated two days ago that action would follow and that the process of correction had already been initiated.
Meanwhile, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday informed a Special Court here that a preliminary probe into the appointment row against Jayarajan had been initiated.
(With agency inputs)
