Thiruvananthapuram: With the opposition continuing to target Transport Minister Thomas Chandy over land grab allegations and a court ordering a quick verification against the minister, the ruling CPI-M is set meet today to decide what needs to be done on the issue.
A court had Saturday directed the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to verify whether Transport Minister Thomas Chandy had violated rules to construct a road through paddy fields to a lake resort owned by him in Alappuzha district.
Acting on a plea filed by a lawyer, Kottayam Special Vigilance Court judge V Dileep directed the bureau to file its report in a month.
The judge also dismissed the contention made by the state government that Chandy did not carry out illegal land filling in the paddy fields.
Stepping up its demand for Chandy's resignation, opposition alleged there was "mystery" behind Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan protecting the transport minister even after the revenue minister had accepted the district collector's report that "found serious violation of rules".
State CPI-M Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had told reporters on Wednesday that legal opinion had been sought on the issue and they were waiting for it.
The plush resort is located in the Alappuzha backwaters where the alleged violations have taken place. The Congress led-UDF and the BJP have demanded the ouster of Chandy, who is an NCP legislator.
The weekly cabinet meeting held here on Wednesday had not taken up the land grab allegation issue.
Trouble increased for Chandy after a report by Alappuzha district collector T.V. Anupama submitted late last month detected violations.
While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan both inside and outside the assembly has strongly supported Chandy, the CPI, the second biggest ally of the ruling Left, including State Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekheran of the CPI, has taken a position against Chandy.
Chandy had at a political meeting on Tuesday, in the presence of State CPI secretary Kanam Rajendran, violently denied the allegations levelled against him by the Congress-led opposition and the BJP and "challenged' those against him and even stated that none can touch him.
The development has left the CPI-M red faced and the party has decided to take a call on Chandy's fate at their internal party meeting today.
According to those in the know of things, the CPI-M was waiting for the state-wide yatra launched by the Left to end.
Chandy, a cash-rich Kuwait-based businessman, is a three-time legislator from Kuttanad in Alappuzha district. He is with the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party.
The NCP has two legislators in Kerala. Chandy was sworn in on April this year after his party colleague A.K. Saseendran was caught in an alleged sleaze scandal.