In a desperate bid to the pacify majority community outfits that have declared war against the Government and to put at least a temporary end to the rampant group war in the party in the context of the coming lok Sabha elections, the Congress in Kerala, leading the ruling UDF coalition, is likely to go for a not-so-minor Cabinet reshuffle before the close of this month.
One of the major proposals is to induct State Congress president Ramesh Chennithala, leader of the “I”-group in the Congress and archrival of CM Oommen Chandy heading the party’s “A”-group, into the Cabinet giving him a key portfolio. At the same time, there will inevitably be some major changes at the top of the State Congress leadership.
A clear decision on the Cabinet reshuffle may be taken on Saturday, when the one-month Kerala Yatra led by Chennithala concludes at Thiruvananthapuram. The occasion will be suitable for this especially as Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Defence Minister AK Antony will be at Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday to take part in the meeting associated with the yatra.
Though the “I”-group is demanding the post of Deputy CM for Chennithala, the CM and his “A”-group are against it. The Congress High Command, eager to avoid creation of two power centres in the Government, is also said to be against the proposal. In that case, Chennithala will have to satisfy himself with the post of Home Minister.
However, even Congressmen say that Chennithala will have to make his choice carefully because he will be giving up his control over the party for a Ministerial post. “Earlier, K Muraleedharan had chosen to become a Minister by quitting as State Congress chief. We all saw how that shift had made him a big zero in Congress politics,” said a senior Congress leader.
The Congress thinks that induction of Chennithala into a key post in the Cabinet may somehow pacify the Nair Service Society (NSS), outfit of Hindu upper caste Nairs, and the SNDP Yogam (forum of lower caste Hindu Ezhavas) which have declared war on the Government for its alleged pro-minorities stand. Chennithala belongs to the Nair community.
However, NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair reiterated that the issues between his outfit and the Government could not be settled through a Cabinet reshuffle while SNDP general secretary Vellappally Natesan made it clear that he did not trust Chennithala as there was no connection between his words and deeds.
In the face of protests from the NSS and the SNDP in April last year when Chandy allotted a fifth Cabinet post to the Muslim league, second biggest partner of the ruling coalition, he had transferred Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan to the Home Department from the less important Revenue portfolio. However, this had not pacified the majority community outfits.
Presently, there are only eight representatives of the majority communities, which constitute 56 per cent of the State’s population in the Cabinet. Muslims constituting 25 per cent has six representatives. Christians, forming 19 per cent of the population, also has six Ministers. Also, the Government Chief Whip’s post, of Cabinet rank, is held by a Christian.
Sources in the Congress said that Speaker G Karthikeyan, a very senior Congress leader, might become the State Congress chief if Chennithala chooses to become a Minister. However, Congress strategists are yet to find some way to satisfy Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan if he has to hand over the Home portfolio to Chennithala.