Daijiworld Media Network - Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 8: Kerala BJP vice-president Shone George on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister V D Satheesan, claiming that the Congress leader's recent criticism of the electoral process amounted to an admission that the Kerala Assembly election was "illegal".

George said Satheesan should step down and the state Assembly should be dissolved if he believed that the election held four months ago was not conducted properly.

"Since he himself admits that the election held in Kerala four months ago was illegal, he has no right to hold the post of Chief Minister. Therefore, the Kerala BJP requests the CM to resign from the post and dissolve the Assembly," George told reporters.

George's remarks came after Satheesan backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's protest against alleged irregularities in the electoral process and called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Satheesan has argued that free and fair elections are essential to democracy and alleged that the country's electoral process was being undermined. He also backed Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's protest in Delhi and said Kerala stood firmly with their campaign for electoral integrity.

Satheesan had joined the INDIA bloc protest in Delhi against Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday and was detained along with other opposition leaders. The protests have centred on allegations concerning electoral roll revisions and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, allegations that the Election Commission and BJP have rejected.

George's latest remarks add to an ongoing political exchange between the Kerala BJP and Satheesan over the electoral-roll controversy. Last month, George and BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar had criticised Satheesan and Rahul Gandhi over their allegations against the Election Commission, while Satheesan accused the BJP of adopting double standards on the SIR issue.