The Hindu : Kerala News : Tussle in `I' group may hit party's prospects

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Tussle in `I' group may hit party's prospects

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 6 . A new face of factionalism is emerging in the Congress party in Kerala, centred on problems in the Karunakaran faction. The new factional tussle is threatening the unity process that brought together the senior Congress leader, K. Karunakaran, and the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony.

The election of a Congress rebel as the deputy mayor of the Thrissur Corporation is the latest instance of the new round of factionalism, when

P.S. Johnny, a hardcore Karunakaran supporter, trounced another Karunakaran loyalist, I.P. Paul, in the election held today for the deputy mayor's post.

This kind of factionalism is quite different and cannot be grouped under the usual tussle between the Antony and Karunakaran groups. In fact, the problems are within the Karunakaran group. The roots of the new factionalism can be traced to the campaign against the Fisheries Minister, K. V. Thomas, and the infamous forged document case. The problem was a tussle within the Karunakaran faction and the case took a new turn with the indictment of the Congress MLA, Shobana George, for her alleged involvement in the move. Factional tussles took yet another turn when Mr. Karunakaran and K. Muraleedharan could not put up a unanimous candidate to the Rajya Sabha seat allotted to the `I' group in the elections to the upper house of Parliament last April. Mr. Karunakaran put up a rebel candidate against the two official candidates of the Congress. However, a section of the Karunakaran MLAs, led by M.P. Gangadharan, did not vote for the rebel candidate, ensuring the election of the official candidates, Vayalar Ravi and Thennala Balakrishna Pillai.

When Mr. Karunakaran made an attempt to split the party, three of his MLAs, P.J. Joy, Varkala Kahar and Therambil Ramakrishnan deserted him because they could not agree with his moves to split the party. Then came the rebellion by the two Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretaries, Rajmohan Unnithan and T. Saratchandra Prasad, who protested against the denial of the ticket for the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha elections. The two went into an agitation mode when the KPCC issued them suspension orders, protesting against the discrimination in implementing party discipline.

As things stand today, it appears that the factionalism in the Karunakaran faction might undo the unity meticulously worked out by the leaders with the blessings of the party high command. In several panchayats and municipalities, the Karunakaran loyalists have refused to fall in line with the KPCC executive's decision to abandon all alliances that they had struck with the CPI(M) to upset the UDF rule in the respective local bodies. In Thrissur, the Karunakaran faction leader, Jose Kattukaran and K. Radhakrishnan, had quit as Mayor and deputy mayor as part of the KPCC's formula to ensure that the unity process was smooth.

Interestingly, the alliances in the local bodies are continuing in spite of the directions of the KPCC, dominated by Karunakaran supporters and headed by a loyalist, P.P. Thankachan. Even in the case of the selection of candidates, problems arose on account of the Karunakaran faction.

If the Karunakaran faction fails to sort out its problems, it could have a debilitating effect on the elections in Ernakulam, Mukundapuram and Thrissur parliamentary seats, according to Congress leaders here. Those rebelling against Mr. Karunakaran would naturally get the protection of the anti-Karunakaran factions. And if the trouble continues, it might affect other constituencies.

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