Kerala’s infamous solar scam involving money, women and politics has pushed the Congress to such a pathetic state that it is now scared of even having talks with own friends: The party is unwilling to call a meeting of the ruling UDF coalition as allies are sure to attack it for endangering the survival of the very Government it is heading with its alleged role in the scam.
Sources in the Congress say that the party will not convene a meeting of the UDF leadership till the Opposition campaigns and media vigilance over the scam are somewhat cooled. They say the party cannot at this juncture afford news of sharp divisions in the front to appear in the media. No UDF meet had been held since the scam broke in the media in early June. The Congress’s escapist decision has come at a time when the Muslim league and the Kerala Congress (M), second and third biggest UDF constituents respectively, have clearly stated that most of the problems associated with the solar power scam, in which Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is accused of involvement, have been created by the Congress itself.
Both these parties have informed the Congress that political gimmicks like a minor Cabinet reshuffle cannot refurbish the image of the Government and that the only way out was a leadership change, meaning Chandy has to be replaced as Chief Minister by someone whose credibility is not under suspicion. The Muslim league has so far stood solidly behind Chandy does not any more think he is irreplaceable. It will soon write to the Congress high command explaining in detail the situation as it sees it and the party may make the matter a point of public discussion if Sonia Gandhi and her colleagues in Delhi fail to take effective measures to straighten their Kerala unit.
The main complaint of the Muslim league is that the Congress and the Government have not been able to give a satisfactory explanation with regard to the solar power scam, in which Chandy, Congress Ministers and leaders and Chandy’s own former aides are allegedly involved, even 40 days after news on the scam first appeared in the media. The Muslim league is of the opinion that the scam has made obvious the multi-level chinks within the Congress and the Cabinet. On the one hand, the scam triggered an intensification of group war in the Congress while on the other the Home Department, looked after by Congress Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, caused problems to the Government, it thinks.
“I think the UDF will face the same kind of setback it had suffered in 2004 if it goes to the next lok Sabha polls without settling the issues that have been brought about by the solar scam,” said a Kozhikode-based senior Muslim league leader. In the 2004 lok Sabha election, the UDF had faced a rout by losing 19 of the total 20 seats in the State. Meanwhile, the Opposition lDF on Monday intensified its campaign demanding the resignation of Chandy over the solar scam even as leftist youth outfits were continuing with their programme of embarrassing the Chief Minister wherever he went with their black-flag demonstrations. The lDF on Monday started a 24-hour “Day-Night Protest” in front of the State Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram as part of intensifying their protests against the Chandy Government. Inaugurating the programme, Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan said, “Chandy is the holder of the prime shares of the solar power scam.”