Thomas Chandy to be sworn in as Kerala minister

Thiruvananthapuram, March 31 (IANS) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator and Kuwait-based businessman Thomas Chandy will be sworn in on Saturday as a minister in Kerala.

The decision was taken after a hurriedly-called meeting of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) here on Friday.

Chandy, a three-time legislator, was picked after his party colleague and Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran quit after an audio emerged in which he was heard having a lewd conversation with a woman on the phone.

The Mangalam TV, which broadcast the audio, on Thursday night issued a public apology for airing the audio and admitted it was a sting operation and that the lady was not a housewife but one of its journalists.

Saseendran said Chandy will take oath on Saturday at 4 p.m. "I will be taking part in the swearing in ceremony of Chandy," he said.