Kerala CPI MLA Jayalal to lose party posts over hospital row

Thiruvananthapuram: Communist parties are often touchy about business affairs and frown on individual enterprises in this regard. A leftist legislator in Kerala has offended his party bosses over a recent investment he made in a hospital venture.

The Communist Party of India (CPI), which is part of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, has decided to remove Chathannoor MLA, G S Jayalal, from elected party positions. The CPI state executive committee decided to take the drastic step after it was found that Jayalal had bought a private hospital without the knowledge of the party.

Jayalal, who is part of the state council and the Kollam district council, would now lose these positions and would be reduced to an ordinary member of the party.

It is now for the state council to take a call on his future party role and the level at which he should function.

The party concluded that the MLA had misused his position to accumulate money for the hospital and hence decided to take the disciplinary action. The state council, in which Jayalal is also a member, would finalise the decision.

The Swanthanam Cooperative Hospital Society, which is led by its president Jayalal, had bought the Ashtamudi Hospital on the Kollam Bypass.

M S Thara, the director board member of Swanthanam Cooperative Hospital Society, and a CPI state council member, would also be warned. She is also a member of the Kerala Women’s Commission.

Malayala Manorama had revealed the hospital controversy.