By P. Sreekumaran
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The shocking tussle for the Chief Minister’s post in Congress in Kerala even before the result is out, has plumbed a new low.
The supporters of senior leader and one of the aspirants for the CM’s post, Ramesh Chennithala, have kicked up a fresh controversy by publishing a full-page advertisement in an English-language newspaper in his support. The ad seeks to highlight Ramesh’s political journey right from his days as a Kerala Students Union(KSU) activist to his rise as a national leader.
Not surprisingly, the advertorial has caused eyebrows to be raised in the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which is ‘sure’ of its victory in the Assembly election.
The timing of the ad is significant, coming as it does less than a week before the declaration of the result on May 4. Equally significant is the fact that it has appeared despite a stern warning by the party High Command to stop the open tussle for the CM’s post. The incident also shows that the High Command has all but lost its ability to command!
It goes without saying that the ad has been published with the clear objective of strengthening Chennithala’s claims for the top job. However, his office has denied any role in the controversy! Neither Chennithala nor his office had commissioned the advertorial. That is the contention of a spokesperson for the senior leader.
Reports have it that the article had been sponsored by Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee (DCC) president Prajin Babu. Supporters of Chennithala’s rivals in the race for the CM’s post, however, say in private that the ad would not have seen the light of the day without his approval.
To be fair to Chennithala, his credentials for the job are impeccable. He is the seniormost leader in the party now with a wealth of experience and administrative experience. He lost the race for the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) post to V.D. Satheesan although he had the majority support of the Congress MLAs who won the Assembly election ion 2021. And he had made no secret of his dismay at being denied the post. True, he later toned down the criticism following the intervention of the High Command. But the latest developments show that the scars are still livid!
It is worth noting that the ad has come close on the heels of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph’s warning to the rank and file not to indulge in open canvassing of support for their respective leaders on television, social and print media.
What has revived the open tussle for the CM’s post is the reported discussion in the State Committee of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second most important constituent of the UDF, favouring V. D. Satheesan for the post. Needless to say, this ‘latest stance’ of the IUML, which has not officially backed any Congress leader for the post so far, has annoyed the supporters of the rival aspirants in the Congress, K. C. Venugopal, Rahul Gandhi’s close confidant, and Ramesh Chennithala. This is the murky backdrop against the appearance of the advertorial.
Understandably, the incident has touched off a wave of revulsion in the Congress. Several senior leaders, including former KPCC chief K. Muralidharan, have deplored the open tussle. They are of the view that such ‘factional fighting’ over the Chief Minister’s post would damage the reputation and credibility of the Congress, besides strengthening the perception that the Congress is now more driven by personality conflicts and political ambition of individual leaders than by any commitment to ideology and an alternate governance agenda.
Meanwhile, in a related development, KPCC vice-president Hiby Eden has resigned as the head of the KPCC digital media cell. The resignation is being ascribed to the growing social media skirmishes within the Congress in the State. A section in the party says the media cell itself was a divided house, struggling to beam the message of unity and collective leadership. Eden had assumed temporary charge as head of the media cell following the resignation of V. T. Balaram.
As expected, the IUML has, once again, expressed kits displeasure over the open Congress feud. In a strongly-worded statement, IUML secretary P M A Salam has minced no words in airing the party’s anger over the issue. Salam has appealed to the Congress High Command to put an end to the open canvassing for the CM’s post.
The Congress seems to have taken it for granted that the victory of the UDF is a certainty. The pro-Congress media are also ‘100 per cent sure’ of the UDF staging an electoral comeback in the State.
The ground reality, however, is different. Most of the latest surveys have predicted a third term for the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government.
The Congress’s optimism is based on its assumption that there is a strong undercurrent of anti-incumbency against the Government. This factor and the consolidation of the minority vote in favour of the UDF will deny the LDF a third term, say the Congress leaders. (IPA Service)
