Kerala   

RSP(B) split not unexpected

By Ignatius Pereira

KOLLAM, AUG. 31. The split in the RSP(B) on the issue of the Cabinet nomination from the party comes as nothing unexpected for those in Kollam, the major base of that party. Since the past two years relations between the former Labour Minister, Babu Divakaran, and the A.V. Thamarakshan-Shibu Baby John axis had been by and large bitter.

In fact, Mr. Divakaran has been trying to give a separate identity for the RSP(B) projecting himself as the leader of one section within the party. Prof. Thamarakshan and Mr. Shibu also did not bother to maintain any serious contact with Mr. Divakaran and they led their own coterie of cadres in the party.

The split has de facto bifurcated the party into Kollam and Chavara entities. Leaders of the party in Kollam are by and large with Mr. Divakaran whereas cadres in Chavara are with Prof. Thamarakshan and Mr. Shibu. The split has served to smudge the image of the party in the district. The general impression is that the split was after all caused by a race between rivals to become a Minister.

Advantage Congress

Meanwhile, the district unit of the Congress appears to be happy over the developments in the RSP(B). The Congress will use the opportunity to gain back the Kollam and Chavara Assembly constituencies from the RSP(B) in the coming Assembly election.

Sources said that the district unit of the Congress would influence the State-level leaders of the party not to accommodate the RSP(B) in the Cabinet because of the split. Before the entry of the RSP(B) as a UDF constituent, the Kollam and Chavara constituencies were allocated to the Congress by the UDF. Many Congressmen in the district had opposed this and were waiting for the earliest opportunity to gain back the constituencies. The split should serve their purpose as well.

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