K.R.Gowri Amma’s valuable decision any time now, P.J.Joseph smiling within

Ninety-two-year-old K.R.Gowri Amma, of the Janadhipadhya Samrakshana Samithi, cannot be appeased by the Congress-led UDF.

For, she is not happy with the four seats unwillingly conceded by the Congress for her party. Congress was willing to part with only three seats, but she has pestered the UDF leaders to such an extent that they seem to have agreed to part with four seats, the additional one seat apparently for her to contest.

Earlier, the Congress leaders were not prepared to give her a seat, the three seats being meant for younger elements in her party. But Gowri Amma wants to contest the elections this time as well and if the UDF wins she wants to become a Minister. Perhaps, the UDF was not willing to go the whole hog as to anoint her a Minister.
Gowri Amma has been trying to build bridges with the CPM-led LDF all the while and she may get a toe-hold herself in the LDF. But her supporters are not welcome.

Gowri Amma’s party is scheduled to meet again on Sunday to decide about the future course of action, including pull-out from the UDF to move to the LDF.

Reports speak about the younger elements not keen to join her in the LDF. If Gowri Amma decides to part with the UDF, most probably there would be a split in her party.
Politics is warming up at the last-minute prior to the elections.

Meanwhile, K.M.Mani of the Kerala Congress (M), who has ingrained into his party the P.J.Joseph faction a few months ago, is haggling to the hilt to ferret out as much as he can. The merger of P.J.Joseph faction without consultations with the Congress Party has been proving to be problematic in many ways.

The happiest persons would be the leaders of the P.J.Joseph faction, for they did not have to speak up against LDF leaders, particularly CPM leaders, as they parted ways with the LDF.

Normally a parting of ways would generate political heat and dust, but Joseph managed things in such a manner that Mani had to take the brunt of criticism from the Congress. One has to consider the amount of diatribe M.P.Veerendrakumar had to spout prior to and after his Janata Dal left the LDF.

But P.J.Joseph, Mons Joseph and T.U.Kuruvilla, who were all ministers in the present V.S.Achuthanandan Ministry coolly walked over to the UDF in a basket carried by K.M.Mani.

Joseph might be keeping his furtive smile within.