New minister only after clearing stand with LDF: Joseph

Kottayam, Sep 15 (UNI) Kerala Congress (J) state executive meeting today constituted a high power committee to take a decision on finding a replacement for PWD Minister T U Kuruvilla, who had to resign following a 'murky' land deal, on September three.

A final decision on a new minister is likely to come up after the the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) meeting to be held on September 20, party Chairman P J Joseph said.

Talking to newspersons after the executive committee meeting, Mr Joseph said the party would register its strong resentment over the LDF's handling of T U Kuruvila issue. ''The LDF leadership had not done justice to Mr Kuruvila,'' he added.

Referring to the controversial ISRO land deal, he said the LDF was ''lenient'' to forest Minister Binoy Viswam, against whom irregularities were levelled in connection with alloting land for Space institute.

Alleging that the LDF was adopting double standards in treating the constituents, he said the new minister would be announced only after party expressing its 'dissatisfaction' with the leadership.

UNI