Kerala DGP Jacob Thomas will not contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as was announced earlier. The IPS officer who was to contest on a Twenty20 ticket from Kizhakkambalam, Chalakudy, came to the decision as the Kerala government is yet acknowledge his application for voluntary retirement, in order for him to contest the election.

His announcement to not contest came on Monday as the last date of filing nomination for for the polls lay just two days away.

Speaking to TNM, h said that the delay in granting him a voluntary retirement  indicated that some people felt threatened by his candidature. “If I had applied for retirement some other time or citing some other reason, it would have been accepted easily,” he said.

He also stated that it was quite normal for officers to take voluntary retirement after 30 years of their service and reluctance to do so by the government could be politically motivated.

“I have completed about 33 years of service and hence, am also eligible to apply for retirement. But there has been no reply to my retirement request even after 10 days. I sense some political motive behind this,” Jacob Thomas told TNM.

Jacob Thomas, who is currently serving his suspension on graft charges, was announced as the  Chalakudy candidate of Twenty20, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of the Anna- Kitex group in Kerala.

The firm came to power in Kizhakkambalam gram panchayat of Ernakulam district by winning 17 of the 19 seats in 2015. It is the only local body in the country being administered by a non-political group.

“I was impressed by the model the Twenty20 group has been implementing in Kizhakkambalam panchayat. This is an alternative model of development, that is why I decided to work with them,” he told.

Jacob Thomas also said that he will not be supporting any other political party in the Lok Sabha polls. “I am with no political party but will actively be involved in the democratic processes of our nation,” he added.

Jacob was suspended from the post of Director General of Police by the state government on December 2017 by the Pinarayi Vijayan government for violation of All India Service Rules.

The government in 2018 also ordered a vigilance probe against the IPS officer over alleged discrepancies while serving as the director of Department of Ports.