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Kerala Cong groups merger move runs into trouble
Thiruvananthapuram:The move of Kerala Congress (KC-Joseph group) to desert ruling LDF and merge with KC-Mani outfit to be part of the United Democratic Front has run into problems with Congress set to resist it. Kerala Congress-Joseph itself is on the verge of a split with a faction led by former Union Minister P C Thomas calling a meeting in Kottayam tomorrow to mobilise opinion against Joseph's merger plans. Congress leaders have clearly put it across to Kerala Congress leaders that the party would not provide any additional assembly seats to united Kerala Congress than what the Kerala Congress-Mani was given in the last elections. Assembly elections are due in Kerala next year. Youth and student outfits of Congress have come out openly against Joseph's entry to UDF, holding that in the last several years, UDF had made a series of corruption charges against Joseph who now holds the Public Works portfolio in the Achuthanandan government. In the last assembly polls, KC-M was allotted 11 seats by the UDF, while KC-J contested in six seats as LDF partner. This would mean the united party would have a claim for 17seats, which the Congress is not prepared to concede.
This has been made clear by no less a leader than KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala. The support base of KC is mostly concentrated in the Christian-dominated central Travancore region where the Congress also hopes to win most of the seats.
Congress nominees were the opponents in most of the seats KC-J contested last time. Congress leaders from these areas have begun openly airing their displeasure against conceding any fresh demand from the Kerala Congress. Congress MP from Idukki, P T Thomas, who contested and lost to Joseph in Thodupuzha in the last assembly polls, said while the merger was an issue between the two KC factions, Congress was not bound to yield to their 'undue' demands. What apparently made Joseph and Mani to think of merger was that their move had the blessings of some senior Bishops of the Catholic Church.
LDF has reacted cautiously to the KC merger move, with Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan stating yesterday that no one would be compelled to remain in the ruling Front. However, it has ow become apparent that anti-Joseph axis in the party hastacit support from the CPI-M to split KC-J. The detractors of Joseph in his party argue that there is no political or ideological ground for switching loyalties now. For instance, they say, Joseph was 'protected' by LDF when he faced the allegation of misbehaving towards a woman passenger aboard a flight in 2006. Joseph was taken back to the ministry once he was absolved of the charges by the Court without any misgivings. PTI
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