The Congress high command has decided to bring in some big changes to the party and the UDF Government it is leading in Kerala in a much-delayed effort to put an end — at least temporarily — to the rampant group war in the party which had created severe discomfort among the allies in the ruling front prior to starting preparations for the lok Sabha polls.
As a first step, the Congress high command has reportedly instructed State party president Ramesh Chennithala to join the Cabinet of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. If party sources are to be believed, Chennithala may be sworn in as Minister on Wednesday morning. Indications are that he may be given the Home portfolio and he may have the second position in the Cabinet.
Extensive changes in the Government and the party are likely to happen after the Assembly session, starting Friday, ends on February 14. According to sources, Chennithala himself may function also as State party chief till then. These instructions were given to Chennithala and Chandy by the high command on Saturday.
The most significant part of the development is that Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, the present Home Minister, will have no posts at least till the big changes occur in the party and the Government after the Assembly session. However, Congress leaders are hopeful that he will be given a suitable position at the earliest if he has to vacate the Home Ministry.
The names proposed for the post of State Congress president, which Chennithala would have to vacate once he becomes Minister (but only after February 14), are those of group-neutral leader VM Sudheeran, G Karthikeyan who is presently the Assembly Speaker and Thiruvanchoor himself. There are also reports that Thiruvanchoor could be made Speaker.
The proposal to induct Chennithala, leading the ‘I’ group in the party, into the Cabinet as a solution to the faction battles in the Congress has been there for the past several months but this got postponed till date because of the reluctance of Chief Minister Chandy, leader of the rival ‘A’ group, to agree to it.