Brother-in-law resigned to avoid nepotism controversy: Kerala Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph

Kannur: Kerala Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph on Monday said that his brother-in-law resigned as his personal staff to avoid controversy following allegations of nepotism by the opposition.

Congress leader Benny Thomas, who is Joseph's brother-in-law, had been appointed as his Additional Private Secretary after the UDF came to power.

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Following criticism from the opposition, Thomas submitted his resignation to the chief minister on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters here, Joseph confirmed that Thomas had resigned.

Joseph said he had examined the legal aspects of the appointment after the allegations surfaced and found that there were no specific criteria governing appointments to ministers' personal staff.

"From a political perspective, people can verify Benny Thomas's public standing in Ullikkal, his native place in Kannur. My colleagues in Kannur had suggested that he continue in the personal staff, and I also supported that view," he said.

He said that during a meeting of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), one leader had raised concerns about the appointment but later withdrew the objection. "No one else raised any issue," Joseph said.

According to the minister, despite the support he received, Thomas chose to resign because of the controversy surrounding the appointment.

"I needed someone like him because I am handling key portfolios, including electricity and environment. I required a trusted person whom I know well to assist with the work. When the issue became controversial, he took the initiative to resign," Joseph said.

When asked whether Chief Minister V D Satheesan had sought Thomas's resignation, Joseph, who is also the KPCC president, declined to answer.

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While the Left Democratic Front (LDF) was in power, the United Democratic Front (UDF) had frequently criticised the appointment of relatives to ministers' personal staff.

Following the change in government, the LDF criticised the UDF over Thomas's appointment to Joseph's personal staff.