Governor accepts Jayarajan's resignation

Kerala Governor P Sathasivam today accepted the resignation of Industries Minister E P Jayarajan who resigned in the wake of allegations of nepotism in appointments in PSUs.

The governor has accepted the resignation of E P Jayarajan and portfolios handled by him has been given to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Raj Bhavan sources said here tonight.

Earlier in the day, CPI-M state secretariat accepted Jayarajan's request to resign in the wake of the raging row over appointment of his nephew to a key post in a state PSU.

Jayarajan, considered number two in the cabinet and close to Vijayan, was in the eye of a storm over the appointment of his nephew and son of Kannur MP P K Sreemathi, P K Sudheer Nambiar, as Managing Director of the 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, also had become controversial, following which she had resigned two days ago.

His continuation as minister became untenable as a majority of state secretariat members voiced concern over the development as the issue could dent the image of the LDF government, which had come to power promising a transparent and corruption free governance.

The Kannur strong man, who had successfully contested from Mattannur in the northern Kannur district, was a member of the Assembly from 1991 to 1996 and an MLA again from 2011 onwards.