George disqualified as MLA

Rebel Kerala Congress (M) leader PC George was on Friday disqualified as member of the state Assembly by Speaker N Shakthan under anti-defection law on a petition by the party.

The disqualification will come into force with retrospective effect from June 3 this year, the Speaker told reporters here. The Speaker also said he has rejected George’s resignation from the assembly submitted to him on Thursday.

During the hearing on the petition, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had also appeared before the Speaker to depose against George.

This was the first time that a chief minister had given a statement in an anti-defection case against an MLA.

The action against George was taken on the basis of a petition filed by KC-M leader and government chief whip Thomas Unniyadan, seeking his disqualification for alleged anti-party activities since an assembly by-election held in June last.

The Poonjar MLA, who had been at loggerheads for the past one year with his party supremo and former Finance Minister K M Mani and ruling Congress-led UDF, had tendered his resignation letter to the Speaker yesterday, apparently anticipating the adverse verdict on his disqualification.