The winner undergoes changes, the loser remains stuck

By O J George

Kottayam: It is quite amusing to see the winner undergoing changes and the loser remaining stuck. I refer to Congress Party positions in Kerala poised for re-arrangements while the CPM positions disposed to remain status quo ante.

This is not at all an attempt to call for change or no change. For, the political parties themselves are the best judges for arriving at decisions based on ground realities.

At the same time, the people would be curious to know whether the present leadership of the Congress in the State would be replaced by another team to face the Assembly elections confidently two years from now.

Remember the LDF Government led by V S Achuthanandan has just observed its third anniversary but not celebrated it during May.

Ramesh Chennithala has reasons to gloat over the UDF win in the Lok Sabha elections. Could it be a better win if someone else comes to lead the party and the UDF during the Assembly elections in 2011?

Panchayat elections are due in 2010 when both the fronts, the LDF and the UDF, would have to sweat it out. Leadership counts in inspiring the electorate to tread particular paths.

Changes are the natural corollaries of occasions when vacancies have to be filled. The Congress Party has the distinction of finding replacements for organisational incumbents who have been elected MPs. Some of them have become Ministers.

Availability of vacancies of Governors also offer good opportunities for posting some aspirants. Certain people can be wheeled away from active politics, if they are given the post of Governor.

Leader K.Karunakaran knows it very well that his accepting the post of Governor would leave him away from active politics. He has always been preferring to remain vibrant even as he is getting old aged.

If there are replacements, would it be V M Sudheeran who takes up the post of KPCC president? If he leads the party to victory in 2011 Assembly elections, would he be a challenger to Oommen Chandy for Chief Ministership?

Will M M Hassan fit into the post of UDF convener, if P P Thankachen becomes the Governor somewhere? Former “I” group leaders may want a person of that category to grab the post.

All these and other replacements best depict the changes affecting the winner. But there does not seem to be changes in the losing front. Discussions to pinpoint reasons for the debacle are going on at various levels. It seems the LDF cannot afford to effect changes now. No one can be singled out for full responsibility for the poorest performance in the Lok Sabha elections.All were jointly and severally responsible. Therefore, let all of them remain and improve the performance unitedly.