THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Caught in a catch-22 situation, the state Congress leadership may yield to the fifth ministership demand of IUML, but only after the Neyyattinkara by-poll. Notwithstanding the stiff opposition from within the party and a few community organisations, the IUML demand will be conceded as it remains stubborn even after the intervention of the Congress High Command. There may be a minor reshuffle of portfolios in the Cabinet to maintain the communal balance . “Reports that the IUML demand has been turned down by the High Command are not true,” Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told Express. “The stance of the KPCC and other issues have been conveyed to the High Command. A final decision will be taken only tomorrow,” Chandy asserted.He also said that all are keen not to delay the decision which will come within two days.“It is baseless to say that the Congress High Command had objected to the IUML demand,” said Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty. IUML general secretary E T Mohammed Basheer MP also struck a defiant note. ‘’Let the decision of the High Command come first,” he said. The general view in the UDF is that the induction of Anoop Jacob in the Cabinet should not be prolonged further. It will be held soon and the portfolio reshuffle will be attendant to it. A decision on the fifth ministership of IUML is also connected to the Neyyattinkara bypoll, sources said. A meeting of the UDF, which is slated here for April 11, is expected to go by the decisions, including the stakes of the front in the Neyyattinkara bypoll. The scene of manoeuvrings has been shifted to New Delhi. “I’m not going to New Delhi tomorrow. Ramesh will reach there tonight,” said Chandy.Though pressure was mounted on Speaker G Karthikeyan to step down, sources said that the move has been rolled back since he is unwilling to take up any post other than KPCC presidentship in the event of his quitting, which Ramesh Chennithala is not ready to part with.“However, a change of role for Karthikeyan cannot be ruled out altogether,’’ hoped a top Congress leader. It is clear that the IUML is not willing to take up speakership in lieu of ministership.Proposals such as Ramesh Chennithala entering the Cabinet or Karthikeyan becoming KPCC president have been put on the back burner. The scope of changing P P Thankachan from the post of UDF convenor is also nil since the ‘I’ group in the party is keen to retain the slot for it.On speculation that he may be dropped from the Cabinet, Rural Development Minister K C Joseph feigned ignorance. “I’ve not been told of it by the Chief Minister so far,” said Joseph, regarded as one of the conscience-keepers of Chandy.Almost all the Congress allies in the UDF are holding the leading partner guilty of making a mess of things. The belligerent mood at the KPCC meet against the IUML has also made the Congress leadership jittery.“Had Chandy desisted from visiting Speaker G Karthikeyan recently, there would have been no speculation and a package would have been easily implemented by now,” said Kerala Congress leader and government Chief Whip P C George.
Comments
0 comment