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After month-long uncertainty, Thodupuzha municipal chairperson quits
He was arraigned as second accused in a bribery case after a probe revealed that he had exhorted the public to bribe municipal officials. CPI(M) called a no-confidence motion on Monday and the UDF and the BJP supported it
Thodupuzha municipal chairperson Saneesh George announcing his resignation at the Idukki Press Club in Thodupuzha on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: JOMON PAMPAVALLEY
After a month-long uncertainty, Thodupuzha municipal chairperson Saneesh George, arraigned as second accused in a bribery case, has quit the post. He announced his resignation at a press meeting at the Idukki Press Club at Thodupuzha on Saturday after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) called a no-confidence motion on Monday.
After the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) Idukki unit registered a case against him, the CPI(M) leadership demanded that Mr. George quit the post, but he refused. The United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supported the no-confidence motion, forcing Mr. George to resign.
Engineer arrested
The VACB arrested municipal assistant engineer Aji C.T. on June 25 while he was accepting ₹1 lakh as bribe for issuing a permit. Investigation revealed that Mr. George had directed the public to bribe municipal officials, leading to his arraigning as the second accused in the case.
After the party leadership asked him to quit, Mr. George approached the High Court, which prevented his arrest for 15 days. Mr. George maintained that he had no role in the bribery case. “I have already informed the VACB officials of the details and hope to prove my innocence before the court,” he said.
Protests staged
The Congress and the BJP staged protests in front of the municipality the past month, calling for Mr. George’s resignation. In the 34-member Thodupuzha municipality, LDF won 13 seats, UDF won 12 seats, BJP won 8, and Congress rebel Independent won 1 seat in the local body election in December 2020. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) came to power by awarding the chairpersonship to Mr. George, the Congress rebel.
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