Kerala Congress(M) rebel MLA George says he will resign from Assembly

Kottayam: Kerala Congress(M) rebel MLA PC George, against whom the party had initiated disqualification proceedings, Tuesday announced his decision to resign as member of the Legislative Assembly.

George, who has been at loggerheads with his party supremo and Finance Minister KM Mani and Congress-led ruling UDF for past one year, said he would submit his resignation letter to Speaker N Sakthan on November 12.

KC(M) had filed a petition before the Speaker seeking disqualification of George as MLA contending that he had worked against the party and the UDF.

George had stated earlier this month that he would resign before the next assembly session beginning November 30, the day the Speaker is scheduled to announce the verdict on the disqualification petition.

"I will be a model for Mani. Mani has no right to continue as a minister even for a minute. So I am announcing the resignation", George said on a day when Mani is facing the heat from Congress and UDF partners to resign in the wake of the Kerala High Court order clearing the decks for further probe in the bar bribery case in which an FIR has been filed against the Finance Minister.

George had campaigned against the UDF in the recent civic polls and Aruvikara assembly bypoll. His resignation would not have any immediate impact on the stability of the UDF government. Assembly polls in Kerala are due next year.

Following the demand of KC-M, the third largest partner in the UDF, George was removed from the post of Government Chief Whip after he openly challenged Mani and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to prove their charges that he had acted against the interests of the ruling combine.