Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 18 (IANS): If sources are to be believed, K.B.Ganesh Kumar -- the lone legislator of the Kerala Congress (B), presently a full fledged ally of the ruling CPI-M led Left, -- seems to be on his way out.
Kumar is the son of the legendary late R.Balakrishnan Pillai who was one of the founding leaders of the Congress-led UDF, a legislator, Lok Sabha member and a State Minister for several years.
Pillai and his son in 2001 were both legislators and their party was in the UDF but a difference of opinion between Pillai and then incumbent Chief Minister Oommen Chandy surfaced in 2004 leading to non-inclusion of Pillai in Chandy’s cabinet in 2004.
After which the relation between Pillai and Chandy strained further and mid way during Chandy’s second tenure in 2011-16, Kumar was asked to resign as Minister when a complaint surfaced from his then wife.
The father-son duo was soon inducted as full time allies of the Left.
In the 2016 Assembly polls, Kumar contested from the Left and won from the Pathanapuram constituency which he has been winning from 2001.
At the 2021 polls also, he won his fifth straight win and was hoping against hope to be a Minister.
Being the lone legislator, the Left had decided to share cabinet posts with a two-and-a-half year term with Antony Raju, the present State Transport Minister and belongs to a faction of the erstwhile Kerala Congress ( J).
It was Kumar who was supposed to get the first two-and-a-half years, but following a dispute with his sister over family property, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan gave the first turn to Raju, upsetting Kumar deeply.
Kumar, a film actor-turned-legislator ,is known for his razor sharp tongue and since Vijayan’s second tenure began he has been critical on a few occasions.
And on Thursday, he went hammer and tongs against State Public Works Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas – son in law of Vijayan and also a first time legislator.
Kumar minced no words and slammed Riyas for not taking the representations of a senior legislator like him when it came to development of roads at his constituency.
A media critic on condition of anonymity said in politics nothing is impossible and for one man party like Kumar, to survive he has to be always with the front which is in power.
“ With what’s happening now, it remains highly unlikely if Vijayan will allow a term for Kumar as he has been critical of Riyas and also at times the way the present Vijayan government is functioning. Kumar has made it to the director board of the powerful Hindu social group of the Nair community- NSS. The NSS for all practical purposes doesn’t have much regard towards Vijayan, so it shouldn’t be a surprise if Kumar does a political somersault and one will have to wait a bit more,” said the critic.