Thomas Chandy to replace Saseendran in Kerala Ministry

Thiruvananthapuram: Businessman-turned politician Thomas Chandy of NCP will be sworn in as minister in the LDF government tomorrow, replacing A K Saseendran who quit as transport minister following sleaze allegation.

The decision to induct Chandy, a three-time MLA from Kuttanad in Alapuzha district, in the cabinet was taken after a meeting of LDF leaders here today.
NCP's Saseendran had resigned on March 26 after a purported audio clip of him speaking in sexual undertones to a woman emerged in the Malayalam channel Mangalam.

The NCP state leadership had met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan earlier in the day and had handed over a letter nominating Chandy as its nominee in the ministry.
Chandy, who has business interests in Kerala and Kuwait, especially in education and hospitality sectors, is considered to be the richest legislature in the state assembly.

NCP state President Uzhavoor Vijayan said Chandy is the new nominee of NCP in the cabinet and he will be sworn in tomorrow at 4 PM.

Following mounting criticism, the channel had admitted that it had conducted a sting operation on Saseendran and that the woman involved in the conversation was their journalist. ???

However, Saseendran refused to return to the cabinet saying that he preferred to keep away as judicial and police probes were on.

Saseendran and Thomas had earlier been involved in a tussle over party's nominee in the ministry after the LDF came to power in May 2016. The dice fell in favour of Saseendran after Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) backed him.

Meanwhile, R Ajit Kumar, Managing Director of the channel, today said that "to uphold media ethics, we came out with our explanation. It was a conscious decision not to disclose that it was a sting operation at the time of airing the audio clip on Mar 26."

"This was also to protect the identity of the woman media personnel who had conversed with Saseendran. Still I feel it was correct."

Saseendran was the second minister to resign from the 10-month-old LDF government after E P Jayarajan (CPI-M), quit as Industries Minister on charges of nepotism.