(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) KERALA SPEAKER G Karthikeyans decision to return to active politics has put the state unit of the Congress party in deep trouble.
The plan Karthikeyan revealed on Friday while openly seeking approval of the party leadership to quit from his post has left the party sharply divided.
While the ‘A’ group led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is unanimous in inducting Karthikeyan into the ministry the ‘I’ group is divided.
A major section of the ‘I’ group has even questioned Karthikeyan’s decision to resign from the post he held for the last three years. Senior leader of the group and convenor of ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) P P Thankachan said the party leadership may not even approve the resignation.
“The party never asked Karthikeyan to resign. He has taken the decision on his own. Hence the party was not obliged to make him a minister” Thankachan said while sticking to his group’s opposition to a cabinet reshuffle. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman Rajmohan Unnithan questioned Thankachan’s right to express opinion on the affairs of the Congress party. As a convenor of the UDF he should limit himself to issues concerning the coalition.
Joseph Vazhakkan a senior leader of the ‘I’ group led by Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala pointed out that the Lok Sabha election results had showed that people were happy with the performance of the present ministry.
He said there was no need for disturbing the structure with only 22 months left for the government to complete its term.
He said Karthikeyan should have allowed the present team to continue its good works and helped the party to retain power in the next elections.
Though it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister to select his team he can take a decision only after considering the ground realities; Vazhakkan said adding that a reshuffle of the ministry at this juncture was unwarranted.
However his colleague in the ‘I’ group K Sudhakaran struck a different note. He said the party had originally made a mistake by making a senior leader like Karthikeyan a speaker.
He wants the party to correct the mistake by offering him a suitable position in the ministry.
Sudhakaran who lost the Lok Sabha poll from Kannur is of the opinion that this could be done without upsetting the factional equations. Karthikeyan can easily be accommodated in the ministry without causing any loss to either group he added.
Senior ‘A’ group leader and Forest Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said that reshuffling the cabinet involved a political decision. Such decisions are taken by the party high command which will take a suitable decision in this case at the appropriate time he added.
The chief minister who is scheduled to go to New Delhi on July 29 is expected to discuss the matter with the Congress high command. M M Hassan a confidante of Chandy and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committeespokesman said that the question of cabinet reshuffle had not come up before the party so far. The party will take an appropriate decision when it comes up for discussion. — newskhaleejtimes.com
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