Kerala: Pillai wants son Ganesh back in cabinet

Thiruvananthapuram: Adding to troubles of the Congress-led UDF Government headed by Oommen Chandy, Kerala Congress (B) leader R Balakrishnan Pillai on Monday demanded re-induction of his son KB Ganesh Kumar into the cabinet, two months after he was forced to quit the ministry facing domestic violence charge. [caption id=“attachment_818783” align=“alignleft” width=“300”] Former Kerala minister KB Ganesh Kumar.[/caption] Pillai handed over a letter to Chandy demanding his son’s restoration in the cabinet holding that there was no legal hurdle in doing so as no case was now pending against Kumar. Refusing to make any commitment on the ally’s demand, Chandy told reporters that he would respond to the demand on Wednesday. Pillai, who met reporters after meeting Chandy, said, “Re-induction of Kumar is only a formality as there is no criminal case pending against him.” Kumar, an actor-turned-politician who held the Forest and Cinema portfolios, resigned in the wake of his wife charging him with domestic violence. However, they reached a settlement later and she withdrew the complaints against her estranged husband, setting the ground for a mutually agreed divorce and agreement on partitioning family assets. Interestingly, Pillai had also in the past pressed Chandy to drop his son from the cabinet, alleging that he had been disregarding the party’s interests. But recently, father and son worked out a truce ironing out their differences. Though Pillai now wants son to be taken back to the ministry, political observers feel that it would not be easy as the Congress is stiffly opposed to that. The demand for his re-induction comes at a time when factionalism in the state unit of the Congress has sharpened over the possible induction of KPCC chief Ramesh Chennithala with a plum portfolio. Recently, Chandy had offered Pillai the chairmanship of the newly formed Forward Communities Commission with cabinet rank. PTI