Kerala assembly witnesses no-confidence motion after 15 years

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) moved a no-confidence motion against the CPM-led government in Kerala Monday, primarily over the gold smuggling case in which a former top bureaucrat in the chief minister’s office is being investigated for his alleged links to the smuggling racket.

The motion, moved by senior Congress leader VD Satheeshan, was backed by UDF partners like the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the PJ Joseph faction of the Kerala Congress (M).

Apart from the smuggling racket, the UDF also brought to the centre-stage of the proceedings in the Kerala Assembly the alleged corruption in the government’s flagship housing project ‘Life Mission’ and the administration’s engagement of a corporate law firm for legal advice about the bidding of Thiruvananthapuram’s airport privatisation move in which a family member of Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani is a partner.

A no confidence motion against the government is being brought after 15 years.

It was in 2005, that Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had moved a motion alleging corruption charges against the Oommen Chandy government.

The Centre had earlier decided to lease the airport to Adani Group for a period of 10 years, which was opposed by the Congress and the CPI(M).

The special Assembly session on Monday also saw the voting for the lone Rajya Sabha seat that fell vacant after the death of MP Veerendra Kumar of the Lokantrik Janata Dal, an ally of the CPM. Kumar’s son MV Sreyams Kumar has been nominated by the CPM-led LDF. The UDF has put forward the name of Lal Varghese Kalpakavadi, the chief of the Congress farmers’ unit. With the LDF enjoying a majority in the Assembly with 90 seats, Sreyams Kumar won the seat.