Bloodless coup: Cong writes on fresh slate with Chandy

With the new dispensation under Oommen Chandy in place, Congress has finally got past the Karunakaran-Antony phenomenon, which determined it...

With the new dispensation under Oommen Chandy in place, Congress has finally got past the Karunakaran-Antony phenomenon, which determined its course for three decades in Kerala.

Though they fought bitterly, the two former chief ministers — K. Karunakaran and A.K. Antony — called the shots in the state Congress and alternated as CM, whenever the United Democratic Front came to power. The Congress high command never even considered a third alternative for the fear of disturbing the balance between the Congress-led UDF and the rival LDF, led by CPI(M).

The choice of Chandy, followed by the induction of a completely new set of Congress ministers, signals a clean slate. Antony, who is still on the right side of 10 Janpath, is tipped for a rehabilitation at New Delhi.

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As for Karunakaran, he may have to persist with what he has been doing for some time now — sulking and complaining. The strength of his group in the Legislature Party now stands at some half a dozen.

In a shrewd move, Chandy has killed two birds with one stone by picking people from Karunakaran’s group, but not those recommended by him. The beneficiaries — Transport Minister N. Sakthan and Cultural Affairs and SC and Backward Communities Welfare Minister A.P. Anil Kumar — would obviously have reasons to be indebted to Chandy rather than their mentor. Karunakaran’s grouse, ‘‘this is a unilateral decision’’, is genuine. Karunakaran could have used former speaker Vakkom B. Purushothaman to foment trouble but Chandy has pre-empted the move by inducting Purushothaman as the Minister for Finance and Excise.

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