Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Finance Minister KM Mani expresses his willingness to resign in the steering committee meeting of the state Congress in connection with the bar bribery scam.
The steering committee meeting is still going on and the final announcement is likely to be made after the United Democratic Front (UDF) meeting in the evening.
Sources said, Chief Whip Unniyadan is also expressed his willingness to resign amid massive protest by the BJP leaders demanding immediate removal of Mani from the state ministry.
UDF held a meeting at Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's residence in Kerala to discuss state Finance Minister KM Mani's fate for his alleged involvement in the bar bribery case. During the meet there was a general consensus that Mani should resign on moral ground. However, the party is yet to take any final decision on whether he will be removed or not.
On Monday, a defiant Mani says he will not resign but now with the mounting pressure, it seems that he might step down as the Finance Minister of Kerala after rift within his own party was felt during the meet.
The Kerala High Court on Monday upheld the vigilance court's order to conduct further probe into bar bribery case against Mani.
The government had last week appealed the high court seeking to quash the vigilance court order for further probe against Mani. The court while criticising Mani said that it is up to Mani's conscience to decide whether he wants to continue as a minister or not.
High court judge B Kamal Pasha asked why the government was worried about further probe into the case. The court also slammed the government for spending tax payers' money to defend a minister who is facing corruption charges.
Many local leaders feel that bar bribery scandal was a major factor behind ruling front's rout in the civic polls and Mani should resign.
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