Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Amid protests demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, senior CPM leader and former Kerala Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac has revived a nearly two-decade-old controversy involving the CEC's tenure as the state's Public Works Department (PWD) secretary, alleging that he was among the officials named in a Malaysian engineer's suicide note in 2006.

In a Facebook post, Isaac revisited the controversy surrounding the World Bank-funded Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), alleging corruption, administrative lapses and delays in the execution of a road project that eventually cost the state significantly more than its original estimate.

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Lee Been Seen, a Malaysian engineer who was in charge of the Kerala operations of PATI-BEL, a joint venture between Malaysian firm PATI and Bhageeratha Constructions, died by suicide in Kuala Lumpur in November 2006, reportedly after returning from Kerala.

According to Isaac, Lee's suicide note detailed alleged corruption and administrative failures involving PWD officials and named Kumar among those accused of demanding bribes.

The allegations led the then VS Achuthanandan government to transfer Kumar from the PWD and order a vigilance inquiry, Isaac said.

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Dispute over World Bank-funded road project

The controversy centred on a road project under the KSTP, with a tender value of Rs 216 crore.

Isaac said the project was delayed amid a dispute over land acquisition and the execution of work. While the PWD blamed the contractor for the delay, PATI-BEL maintained that the government had failed to hand over the required land.

The department also alleged that the contractor had failed to carry out work even in sections where land had been handed over. However, Isaac claimed that the PWD did not issue a notice seeking compensation from the contractor for the delays.

He said PATI-BEL had issued notices to the department over each alleged lapse, making it likely that the government would lose an arbitration proceeding.

Isaac also alleged that delays in clearing bills and other administrative hurdles compounded the problems faced by the contractor.

By the end of 2007, the government had to pay Rs 35 crore as compensation, according to Isaac. Pending bills were cleared, and a revised estimate of Rs 215 crore was approved to complete the remaining work.

As a result, a project originally estimated at Rs 216 crore was expected to cost at least Rs 330 crore, Isaac said, adding that the episode had also resulted in the death of an engineer.

Isaac questions appointment as Chief Election Commissioner

Isaac described Kumar's appointment as Chief Election Commissioner in 2025 as a reward for his earlier roles in the Union government.

He also questioned the legal framework under which Kumar was appointed, pointing to amendments to the selection process for the CEC.

The Supreme Court had earlier proposed a selection panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India. However, a subsequent law replaced the Chief Justice with a Union Cabinet minister nominated by the Prime Minister.

The legality of the amended selection mechanism has been challenged in court, Isaac said.

Calling for Kumar's removal, Isaac alleged that the CEC was carrying out a political agenda and said an impeachment motion in Parliament could expose his actions.

He stressed, however, that a broader democratic movement was necessary to press for Kumar's removal.

Isaac said Left parties would jointly launch a campaign from September 28, Bhagat Singh's birth anniversary, to October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, to mobilise public opinion against the CEC.