The Hindu : Kerala News : DIC(K) scores a political point

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Friday, Feb 10, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

DIC(K) scores a political point

Girish Menon

Jacob succeeds in garnering Opposition support for walkout

Thiruvananthapuram: The Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran), which is seeking an entry into the LDF, scored a major political point by forcing the Opposition to join its protest against the alleged police action on DIC(K) workers and announce a walkout in the Assembly on Wednesday.

DIC (K) leader T.M. Jacob's deft moves in the Assembly found even the CPI, which has been baiting the DIC(K) and its senior leader, K. Karunakaran, to fall in line with the CPI(M)'s wishes and join the walkout in protest against the police action. The LDF-DIC (K) ties did not figure much on the floor of the House during the three-day debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address. But it was a major talking point outside the House, particularly in the members' lobby.

The DIC (K) has been trying its best for an opening for an alliance with the LDF. But the CPI's stiff opposition to the move has been a major stumbling block. The DIC (K) has tried out all sorts of strategies, even engaging the CPI and the other partners in a verbal sparring on their relative strengths. In the CPI(M), the Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan has been voicing his opinion against any truck with Mr. Karunakaran and his party. Mr. Achuthanandan, however, was not in the Assembly on Wednesday to block any move of some of the CPI(M) MLAs to encourage the DIC(K). Mr. Jacob briefed the Opposition MLAs on the strategy. The CPI, it appeared, did not have any alternative but to join the walkout after the initial reluctance.

The live telecast of the Assembly proceedings also came in handy for the DIC(K), prompting Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed to remark that the LDF-DIC(K) move was nothing but a well-thought out ploy.

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