Kerala Transport Minister K. B. Ganesh Kumar has landed in controversy after his wife, Bindu Menon, levelled allegations of infidelity against him, prompting the Opposition to demand his resignation ahead of the crucial state elections just two months away.
Bindu later said she does not intend to pursue the complaint further, as the minister has admitted his mistake and apologised. However, the political storm surrounding the issue is unlikely to die down soon.
“If the minister does not resign, then the chief minister should show the resolve to remove him,” Congress state president Sunny Joseph said.
The Congress, which had recently been on the defensive over the sexual abuse allegations against Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil, now appears to be attempting to corner the Pinarayi Vijayan government over the issue. The Opposition party had expelled Mamkoottathil in December 2025 after several women raised complainants against him, leading to his arrest.
Joseph urged the government, the chief minister and the Left Democratic Front to clarify their stand, and recalled that Kumar—a leader of the Kerala Congress (B)—had previously been forced to resign when similar allegations surfaced during the tenure of the United Democratic Front government.
“So, it is not just double standards on the part of the government; it is a betrayal of the people,” he said.
LDF on the back foot
The LDF is seeking a third consecutive term in power, banking on the Vijayan government’s welfare schemes, while the Congress-led UDF is keen on returning to power after spending two consecutive terms in the Opposition.
Local media reports suggest that the chief minister may ask Kumar to step down in order to protect the government’s image ahead of the elections.
For the Left front, which often boasts its pro-women credentials, the controversy surrounding Kumar could prove to be a significant embarrassment. There were reports that the police allegedly failed to act after the minister's wife dialled the emergency helpline number 112 after facing abuse at home.
According to ManoramaOnline, Kumar’s apology to his wife on Monday night followed a stern stance by Vijayan amid mounting calls for the minister’s resignation, including from the Communist Party of India (CPI).
'Love is not a crime'
The minister's wife first made the allegations on Monday, claiming she caught him with another woman in their bedroom. She alleged that when she attempted to photograph them, the minister’s staff snatched her phone.
Bindu said there had been marital issues with Kumar since their marriage in 2014, but they worsened after he became minister in 2023.
A defiant Kumar, however, later told the media that the allegations against him, whether true or not, were a personal matter and nobody should interfere in it. “Love is not a crime. Everyone experiences love. It will continue,” he said.
On Tuesday, however, Bindu told a television channel that the minister had called her and apologised, and that she would not pursue the complaint further.
“My intention was not to tarnish the image of the government or my husband. I said that yesterday as well. He called this morning and apologised and said we can resolve the issue. That is what I was waiting for. I am definitely not moving forward with the complaint now. We will resolve it together,” she said.
