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Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Kerala
By Girish Menon
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPT. 23. The relationship between the two major UDF partners, the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League, appears to be turning sour. This is the direct consequence of the Cabinet decision to stall further processing of the mineral sand-mining project. The Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, in his attempt to prevent a division among his Ministers, stalled a discussion on this by suggesting during Wednesday's Cabinet meeting that the controversial project proposal be kept in abeyance. Had the Cabinet gone in for a detailed discussion, the Chief Minister would have found it difficult to contain some of the Congress Ministers who made it known that their Cabinet status did not alter their views about the controversial project. For the Congress, the row over the project has come in handy to bridle the IUML, perceived to be overreaching itself in UDF politics.
Jubilant mood
The Congress camp was in a jubilant mood. The KPCC executive meeting also witnessed discussions on the sand-mining project, with the former Chief Minister, A. K. Antony, criticising the Industry Department for the way it handled the issue. The Industry Minister, P. K. Kunhalikutty, stated that he was indeed unhappy at the turn of events and the State's inability to push for development by promoting projects in the mineral sand-mining sector. The IUML leader and Union Minister of State for External Affairs, E. Ahamed, did not miss the strong undercurrents of the decision when he remarked at a press conference in Kochi that his party would rather ignore attempts at isolating it. The Congress leaders have been debating for long the "overbearing attitude" of the IUML and other UDF partners even before the Oommen Chandy Government assumed power. In fact, one of the main problems that Mr. Antony had to face quite often during his tenure was the IUML's position on various issues. The Lok Sabha elections exposed the differences, with Mr. Antony refusing to take the complete blame for the electoral defeat. He had said at that time that the IUML's handling the education portfolio was equally responsible as it alienated communities across the political spectrum.
Portfolio allocation
At one point of time, the Congress high command even had to consider reopening the entire issue of reallocating the portfolios held by various UDF partners. Some of the senior Congress leaders even demanded wresting the Education portfolio from the IUML. The Congress high command desisted from such a move only because of the IUML's pressure, but was firm in keeping the Kerala Congress (Jacob) and the Kerala Congress (B) out of the Cabinet. The Congress seems to have been emboldened by its success in sidelining the two Kerala Congresses while handling the IUML leadership, which was not quite happy when Mr. Chandy did not announce the portfolios soon after the swearing-in of party leaders. The Chief Minister, on his part, is trying his level best to keep his relations with the IUML on even keel as could be seen by his justification of the Industry Department's stand. Any other statement from him would have been embarrassing to a Cabinet colleague and that too, a leader of a major UDF constituent. Given the Congress mood, more attempts could be expected in the future. The matter could get more complicated as the UDF has not been able to meet frequently and serve as a forum to sort out differences.
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