THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After weeks of uncertainty and controversy, AK Saseendran of the NCP is finally stepping down as a minister. Kuttanad MLA Thomas K Thomas will replace Saseendran as minister.

Saseendran hoped that even if the party bowed out, the Chief Minister would not give up. He met with the Chief Minister against resigning the post of Minister, but in vain. The Chief Minister was of the stand that he would not interfere in the internal affairs of the NCP.

Earlier, party national president Sharad Pawar also took a decision in favour of Thomas K Thomas. It is known that the announcement of Thomas K Thomas as a minister will be made within a week. PC Chacko said that Pawar asked to wait and the decision would be taken within a week.

Discussions about the change of ministers have been active in the NCP for a long time, but no consensus has been reached on Saseendran’s issue. The committee appointed by the NCP leadership handed over to Saseendran the need to comply with the agreement that the ministerial position given to the party should be given to two MLAs for a period of two and a half years each but he maintained that he was not aware of such an understanding.

He also put forward the demand that he should be given the post of party state president when he steps down from the ministerial position but the leadership was of the stance that a person who is in the MLA position cannot be given the post of party president. In that case, Saseendran had stated that he would resign as a member of the legislature along with the ministerial position and would prefer to focus on organizational work. The party’s national leadership intervened when the issue went on unresolved.