O J's Corner : Reflections

Congress cocksure of seizing power
after the turn of the Communists in Kerala

It has been only 70 days since the V S Achuthanandan Government of the CPM-led  LDF assumed office in Kerala. The LDF had got a brutal majority to rule the State.  Achuthanandan, a no-nonsense leader, wanted to judiciously rule the State, but circumstances are not conducive to call the shot as he cares. His party is riven by ideological and petty group differences.

Afterall, we are living in a democracy, and Communists have also a penchant for people’s pulse, although they would whole-heartedly approve of the action of Fidel Castro of Cuba having handed over power to his brother.For them, there is no need for democracy when someone sitting in the backyard of America goes all-out against colonialism!!

Let us not digress from Congress affairs. There was an axe to grind for various leaders. A K Antony, who had thought that there was no alternative for him except Karunakaran, had an unceremonious exit following the debacle of all Congress candidates during the last Lok Sabha elections.

Antony-Karunakaran ambience was the backbone of Congress politics in Kerala. The myth has been shattered. Oommen Chandy, ably supported by KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala, had his innings, I would say, colourfully. All talks about the UDF coming back to power was unrealistic, given the political reality of the LDF and the UDF alternating governance.

Antony wanted Karunakaran in the UDF. There was some sort of a vague understanding with his fledgeling party, the DIC (K). After the electoral debacle in the Assembly elections, the whole gamut of understanding and alliance changed drastically.

Now various Congress leaders are gunning for the scalpel of Ramesh Chennithala-Oommen Chandy axis. Oommen Chandy, being the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, has nothing to worry as of now, even though his chances of becoming a member of the Congress Working Committee have been nipped in the bud.

Perhaps Chennithala would find a berth, that too an upper berth, at the AICC. He has had the work experience there earlier too. He can relate to the leadership in Delhi quite amiably.

The High Command may not be amenable to the proposals of restructuring offered by Oommen Chandy and Chennithala. The leadership would weigh in with other factors too.
The situation has come to such  a pass that if the KPCC has to be revamped, its president should go as well.

Is there anyone to fill the bill forthwith? Antony camp has a name in its ready-reckoner. The person is none other than V M Sudheeran, who dons an idealistic robe. Sudheeran has cogent vision about issues agitating the people at large. Many of his ideas may not fructify, once he leads an alliance regime. Still everyone can be given a chance.

As of now the UDF would romp home to victory in the next Assembly elections, provided it keeps a low profile. It does not have to agitate much on issues that get whipped up politically. The LDF regime would have a natural death.

Regime change will come to the UDF on a platter. But the leaders should agree among themselves not to vitiate the atmosphere with too much ambition. If at all there is change, the High Command’s suggestions would have to be gladly accepted. And let them wait for good times to come naturally.