Thiruvananthapuram: The difference of opinion between the Chancellor (Governor Arif Mohammed Khan) and the Kerala government spilled over to the Senate meeting of the Kerala University, which was mired by a standoff between Higher Education Minister R. Bindhu, who is also the Pro-chancellor, and Mohan Kunnumel, the acting Vice-Chancellor.
The special Senate meeting was called to nominate one member to the search committee to select the new VC of the Kerala University, which has to be forwarded to the Chancellor.
Right from the start of the meeting, Bindhu and Kunnumel were at loggerheads with each accusing the other of working against the of law.
Incidentally, in the 106-member Kerala University Senate, there are three clear-cut factions presently -- the majority led by the CPI-M, followed by the Congress-led UDF members, and a third front that emerged after Governor Khan nominated 11 persons to the Senate.
Incidentally, the Pro-chancellor attends a Senate meeting on rare occasions.
Bindhu said that as soon as the meeting began, one member raised a point with regard to the selection of a member to the search committee saying the issue being sub-judice, it will be illegal.
“After that a resolution to this effect was passed and the meeting was wound up. In the absence of the Chancellor, the the Pro-chancellor normally presides over such meetings,” said Bindhu.
However, Kunnumel claimed that being the VC, he will be overseeing the conduct of the Senate meeting.
At the end of the meeting, the Congress-led UDF members named their nominee, while the new faction consisting of the nominees of the Chancellor suggested another name.
Sources close to Kunnumel said that he will soon forward one of the two names to the Chancellor.
With the majority of the Senate members and Bindhu claiming that the resolution has been passed, in all likelihood this is going to be the next legal battle between the ruling CPI-M-led Left and Governor Khan.
