Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 13 : Reacting to PV Anvar tendering his resignation to Kerala Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Monday said that he has resigned as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership has asked him to do the same. He said that the Congress and United Democratic Front (UDF) will decide on the approach they have to take on the issue.
The senior Congress leader also welcomed the efforts of Anvar in raising the issue related to corruption.
"We came to know about his resignation in the morning only. He resigned because the TMC leadership asked him to resign. What approach we have to take towards him, has to be taken in the Congress party as well as the UDF. The issues raised by him, have been taken up earlier. The anti-people policy of the state government has been criticised by PV Anwar and it is a welcome step because he was with them as an LDF MLA... As the opposition, we were raising these issues time and again for the last 8 years," Chennithala told reporters.
Earlier in the day, TMC leader PV Anvar said he would not contest the Nilambur by-election but would instead give full support to the Congress candidate to end the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government.
Speaking to the media, Anvar said, "CM's political secretary asked me to raise corruption allegation against opposition leader VD Satheesan in assembly. He has prepared the matter to present in the assembly. The allegation that VD Satheesan received Rs 150 crore was raised in the assembly with the permission of the Speaker. I don't know whether there was a conspiracy. I apologise to opposition leader V D Satheesan and the public for this. I will not contest the Nilambur by-election. I will give full support to the Congress candidate to end the Pinarayi government. The Congress should field a candidate from Nilambur. Malappuram DCC president Joy is the suitable candidate."
While speaking to ANI, Anvar said that he cannot fight against the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government alone and needs political support from the UDF.
TMC has appointed PV Anvar as the state Convenor of Kerala. Anvar who was an Independent MLA from Nilambur resigned as MLA today.
While addressing a news conference today, Anvar said that it was the prerogative of the speaker to accept his resignation. He further informed that he held discussions with TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, briefing her about the human-animal conflict, which persists in Kerala.
He accused some leaders of changing their stand on the issue of corruption. Anvar said that the allegations levelled by him were limited to the Chief Minister's political secretary and other officials, including former Malappuram collector Sujith Das, who was involved in putting people in a particular community on the accused list.