NEW DELHI: Independent MLAs P.V. Anwar and K.P. Jaleel have been very vocal against the CM’s plan.
Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, has been laying the ground to appoint his son-in-law Mohammad Riyas as his successor. However, insiders in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) suggest that a few Independent legislators are trying their best to stall his move. Apparently, there was an attempt to elevate Riyas as CM since Vijayan is facing health issues.
A leader said, “Vijayan could not have directly made him the Chief Minister. There is a way to go up the ladder. The Chief Minister can only be someone who is either the member of the Politburo or the Central Committee, and Riyas is not a member of either. So there was an attempt to raise him in his position to eventually appoint him as CM. Currently, there are around three Politburo members and two of them are not active. Plus, he is a first-time legislator and yet, he got the important portfolios of Tourism and Public Works Department. Nobody gets important portfolios the first time.”
The Independent legislators have also been alleging that the bureaucrats close to the CM are creating their own political clout and running the state affairs as per their wishes. The Independent MLAs, P.V. Anwar and K.P. Jaleel have been updating the public on a daily basis about the Chief Minister’s plans to appoint his son-in-law as CM.
According to a party insider, “Anwar is providing updates on the activities of the bureaucrats who are acting on their own whims. Moreover, for the first time in the history of Kerala, most of the senior police officials in the Malappuram district are being transferred which means the Chief Minister is rattled and is affected by these allegations.”
Experts believe that if Kerala gets a CM from the minority community (Mohammad Riyas is a Muslim), it will help the BJP to establish greater political ground in the state. The BJP will target all the other parties of being unable to protect majority interests.
According to party insiders, the independent leaders have also alleged that the bureaucrats close to the Chief Minister are working in tandem with BJP and have been helping them in every possible way to establish the saffron camp in the state. A leader said, “It is being said that the officials helped BJP establish itself in Thrissur.”
Moreover, such claims by the opposition camp have already existed after Riyas was given the portfolio. The leaders within the Communist Party of India (Marxist), according to insiders, are not happy with the plans of the Chief Minister. However, there is no rebellion within the camp.
A person privy to the developments said, “For now, it will be difficult for Vijayan to appoint Riyas as the chief minister. Because that will neither be in the benefit of the party, nor in the benefit of the alliance, and above all, not in the benefit of the state government. The party insiders may think at some point in time to join the legislators if the plans to appoint Riyas intensify.”