Thiruvananthapuram: Bigwigs of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Saturday expressed their dissatisfaction with the developments over the alleged letter sent in the name of Thiruvananthapuram Mayor seeking to appoint the party’s cadres to various posts in the civic body.
The leaders concurred that the row soiled its image as well as enabled the opposition parties to corner it by holding vehement protests.
The CPM leaders also rapped Mayor Arya Rajendran, whom they have unfailingly supported even when the protests were at its loudest, for failing to quell the matter.
It needed party leader DR Anil’s resignation from the position of Chairman of the Public Works Standing Committee of the civic body before the CPM could arrange a truce with the opposition parties to put an end to the nearly two-month-long protest that brought activities at the Corporation to a near standstill.
Anil had admitted, as early as October, that he had written the letter, but maintained that he had destroyed it after coming to the conclusion that the move to seek a short-list of CPM supporters for civic jobs was unnecessary.
He had also expressed his wonder as to how the ‘destroyed’ letter got leaked to the media.
Meanwhile, Arya maintains that she has neither written nor even seen the letter. While the CPM does not question this, it has backtracked from its earlier position which ruled out any big changes in the civic body, including the removal of the Mayor.
To questions whether that’s indeed the case, the party said it will rest on how the case against Arya Rajendran transpires.
On Friday, Local Self-Government Minister MB Ragesh assured that the investigations regarding allegations of nepotism against Arya will continue without hindrance.
