George issue continues to trouble Chandy government

The crisis in the Oommen Chandy government in Kerala continues unabated with both Finance Minister K.M. Mani and his Kerala Congress-Mani (KC-M) party colleague P.C. George sticking to their stands.

Trouble, brewing for long in the KC-M, surfaced on Thursday when Mani demanded stripping George of his post as chief whip and removal from the United Democratic Front liaison committee.

Chandy, before leaving for Dubai on Saturday, had a closed-door meet at Kochi with former defence minister A.K.Antony, who said that all the things would be solved amicably very shortly.

"UDF in the past has come out safe from even tough times and hence when compared to such issues, the present one is nothing," said Antony.

George, however told reporters at Kottayam on Saturday, that he needs just a call from Mani demanding his resignation and would comply

"When my party (Kerala Congress-Secular) merged with KC-M in 2010, I was made the only vice-chairman. So if he does not want me, I wish to have an honourable exit and should be allowed to rejuvenate my old party.

"I am now waiting for the 'Holy Week' (ending with Easter, April 5) to end and as required by the UDF leaders, I will not break the promise that I gave them and I will not speak anything to make things worse," he said.

Sources close to Chandy and George reveal that the latter should be given an honourable exit and if Mani should dismiss George from the party, then he will be able to circumvent the anti-defection law and it would be a win-win situation for all.

But Mani however does not want to let off George simply and hence he is demanding his removal as the chief whip and if George, on his own, decides to leave the party, then he will face disqualification as a legislator.

"George by being a legislator of our party was given the chief whip post and was made a member of the UDF liaison committee. The party is free to appoint anyone and so far it was George... now we have asked him to step down," Mani told reporters here soon after George's press conference.

Chandy is now hoping things will cool down by the time he returns and Easter is over, all will agree to an amicable solution.