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DESPITE coming to power with over a two-third majority in May 2001, the Congress-led United Democratic Front Government in Kerala is regular...

DESPITE coming to power with over a two-third majority in May 2001, the Congress-led United Democratic Front Government in Kerala is regularly rocked by senior Congress leader and four-time chief minister K Karunakaran8217;s tantrums. Last week he got into action again, demanding removal of Chief Minister A K Antony for his alleged anti-minority remarks.

The 85-year-old veteran8217;s bid failed as the party command backed Antony and the the Indian Union Muslim League8212;the second largest partner of the coalition, refused to join Karunakaran.

This is Karunakaran8217;s second attempt in three months to oust Antony. The first was when he fielded a rebel candidate for Rajya Sabha elections. Though his candidate lost, he succeeded in giving sleepless nights to Antony and the party command.

Karunakaran and Antony8217;s rivalry is not new. It8217;s been a part of Kerala politics for decades now. But it reached graver proportions when Karunakaran was replaced by Antony as chief minister in 1995. Karunakaran was then at the receiving end for his proximity to a senior IPS officer who was an accused in the ISRO spy case.

Out of the driving seat, it is now Karunakaran8217;s turn to strike back. In the latest move against the Antony Government last Sunday, 21 MLAs of the Karunakaran faction prepared a letter to be submitted to the Speaker the following day, requesting permission to sit in the Assembly as a separate bloc.

They wanted to withdraw two ministers of their faction from the Antony Ministry and to vote against the government along with the 40-member strong Opposition Left Democratic Front LDF in the crucial Kerala Appropriation Bill in the Assembly. The Kerala Assembly has 140 elected members.

Kerala8217;s Punch and Judy show

K Karunakaran	A K Antony
Age: 85 Four time CM Was replaced by Antony in 1995. Hasn8217;t been able to forget much less forgive Story continues below this ad He8217;s given his whining a personal turn. Two years ago accused Antony of scuttling his daughter Padmaja Venugopal8217;s candidature for Assembly elections	Age: 62 CM for third time Facing Karunakaran8217;s wrath who wants him removed for his 8216;8216;anti-minority8217;8217; remarks Antony responded with a range of emotions from ignorance to half-knowledge. Eventually settled for this: Karunakaran hadn8217;t personally told him of his daughter8217;s candidature

Though 21 was the right number in the 63-member Congress Legislature Party to sit as a separate bloc without attracting the penal provisions of the anti-defection law, the move was thwarted by the party. It expelled five MLAs, including two ministers of the Karunakaran faction, so that it did not have the required minimum for a separate bloc.

Sensing trouble, Karunakaran backtracked but he8217;s in no mood to give up. He8217;s playing on Antony8217;s anti-minority remarks, harping on how they went against party policy.

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It is not the first time that Antony has aired his opinion on the sensitive majority-minority issue in Kerala. He has often said that the minorities, Muslims and Christians, who amount to 45 per cent of the population, are highly organised and often wriggle concessions from the government causing resentment among the majority community.

What prompted the chief minister to speak out against the minorities recently was the Muslim League8217;s insistence to rehabilitate the Muslim families affected in the May riots in Marad. Antony had pleaded for more time.

The chief minister is also upset with two Christian managements of recently opened self-financing medical colleges who refused to adhere to the Government policy of 50 per cent government quota and 50 per cent management quota in admissions.

The latest row between Karunakaran and Antony has a more unfortunate fallout. The Congress8217; inhouse bickering has stalled the UDF government8217;s economic reform programme.