Muslim league, Congress party’s staunchest ally in the nine-party ruling UDF in Kerala, is unhappy with it following reports on its allegedly unilateral decision to induct State Congress president Ramesh Chennithala into the Cabinet as Deputy Chief Minister which might lead to the league’s loss of its present No 2 position in the Government.
leaders of the Muslim league said on Wednesday that a decision concerning the post of Deputy Chief Minister was a policy matter which the Congress was not capable of taking on its own without discussions in the UDF. According to sources, the Muslim league has already decided to oppose the idea when the matter comes up in UDF meeting on Thursday.
“Presently, we are holding the No 2 position in the Government. We should know when that is being taken away from us,” said Industries Minister PK Kunhalikutty, who is also the league’s parliamentary party leader in the State Assembly. “But nobody has told us anything about it. We are surprised by the media reports (on the post of Deputy Chief Minister),” he said.
Since the formation of the UDF Cabinet over two years ago, the Muslim league has held that there is no need of a Deputy Chief Minister in the Government headed by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy of the Congress. However, it had also taken a position that if a Deputy Chief Minister had to be appointed the man occupying that post should be from the Muslim league.
The antagonistic stand taken by the Muslim league over the issue had immediate effect. In a bid to send a message to the Muslim league that no decision would be taken without informing it, CM Oommen Chandy on Wednesday afternoon blamed the media for publishing “baseless” reports on Cabinet reshuffle.
“I don’t have the right or authority to take any decision that you are speaking of,” he told newsmen. “I have to get sanction from the high command and then take it to the UDF for discussions,” he said in reference to a meeting he had with Chennithala the other day, adding that he would not reveal any point that was discussed at that meeting.
The opposing groups in the Congress have been struggling hard for the past two weeks to come to an understanding on a reshuffle of the party’s Cabinet positions by inducting Chennithala into it. This was also intended to pacify the majority community outfits that have declared war on the Congress and the Government for their alleged pro-minority positions and policies.
As per reports, the ‘A’ group led by Chandy and the ‘I’ group of Chennithala have now come to an understanding by which the State party chief could be made Deputy Chief Minister with the charge of Revenue portfolio. However, observers now say that the whole exercise could become counter-productive with the objection to the proposal from the Muslim league.
The Congress believes that despite the opposition being aired openly to the idea of making Chennithala the second man in the Government, the Muslim league may eventually agree to it.
It is also aware that such an agreement would unavoidably entail certain conditions from the part of the league which cause further problems for the Congress.
“If the league agrees to the Congress’s proposal, it would do it with the determination to cash in on the situation. This could lead to the creation of further unhappiness for majority communities. In short, the problems for the Congress are not going to end with the proposed reshuffle,” said the senior editor of a leading Malayalam newspaper.