Kerala Governor accepts EP Jayarajan's resignation

Kerala Governor P Sathasivam on Friday accepted the resignation of Industries Minister E P Jayarajan who resigned in the wake of allegations of nepotism in appointments in PSUs. The governor has accepted the resignation of EP Jayarajan and portfolios handled by him has been given to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Raj Bhavan sources said on Friday night.

Earlier in the day, CPI-M state secretariat accepted Jayarajan's request to resign in the wake of the raging row over appointment of his nephew to a key post in a state PSU. Jayarajan, considered number two in the cabinet and close to Vijayan, was in the eye of a storm over the appointment of his nephew and son of Kannur MP P K Sreemathi, P K Sudheer Nambiar, as Managing Director of the Kerala Industrial Enterprises Ltd. His appointment was later quashed by the government.

Another appointment, that of Deepthi Nishad, Jayarajan's brother's daughter-in-law, also had become controversial, following which she had resigned two days ago. His continuation as minister became untenable as a majority of state secretariat members voiced concern over the development as the issue could dent the image of the LDF government, which had come to power promising a transparent and corruption free governance.

The Kannur strong man, who had successfully contested from Mattannur in the northern Kannur district, was a member of the Assembly from 1991 to 1996 and an MLA again from 2011 onwards.