Rift with father; minister offers to resign

K B Ganesh Kumar, Cultural and Forest Minster, on Saturday expressed his readiness to resign from ministerial post after he was sacked from party posts, including the vice-chairmanship of the Kerala Congress (B) following differences between him and his father and party chairman R Balakrishna Pillai, say sources.

The rift between Ganesh Kumar and his father widened after Pillai openly alleged that Ganesh Kumar did not take the party into confidence on several issues.

Pillai, who was been in jail after being convicted in a graft case, was recently released from prison.

In a bid to replace Ganesh Kumar, Pillai had reportedly tried to woo an NCP MLA Thomas Chandi as well.

Pillai's attempt to make Thomas Chandi as minister replacing Ganesh Kumar was rejected by Chief Minister Oommen Chandi, say sources.

Pillai then had to back off as he was given the bitter option of “no Ganesh, no minster for the party.”