Rival factions in Kerala's Congress party on Monday agreed on a temporary truce after the war in the party and the ruling UDF it was leading over corruption charges against the Government headed by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy began to threaten its very foundations. The ceasefire came after hectic discussions among various senior leaders of the party in which certain other UDF constituents reportedly played a catalytic role.
After a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, senior Congress leaders informed the media that all problems in the party had been solved. "The Congress does not have any problem that cannot be solved," State Congress president VM Sudheeran said. Chief Minister Chandy and his rival in the party, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala endorsed the PCC chief's opinion.
The truce came just when the party and UDF workers across the State were worried that the war could mar the spirit of the entry of the Government to its fifth year in office on Monday. Sources said that the State leaders were forced to sort out the differences at least temporarily following strict instructions from the high command to end divisionist tendencies.
Problems in the groupism-ridden Congress party reached a flashpoint by Sunday following a statement by Working Committee member AK Antony three days back that corruption had become all-pervasive and another statement by PCC vice-president VD Satheesan who said, "A black shadow of corruption has fallen on the Government."
Feeling that a concerted attack was being mounted on Chandy, his Government and the party's 'A' group led by him by the 'I' group of Chennithala, Antony and other detractors of the Chief Minister with the intention of dethroning him, leaders of the 'A' group launched a counter-attack against the 'I' group infuriating it further.
As the war intensified, Antony himself explained on Monday that his criticisms were not against any particular individual, section in the party or Government but he was making a general observation, adding that there was no need for leaders to go public with controversial statements over what he had said.
The ice began to melt on Monday morning after rivals Chandy and Chennithala held a long discussion. Culture Minister and Chandy aide KC Joseph, who had unleashed a scathing attack against the 'I' group, launched a ceasefire move by meeting Chennithala and Sudheeran and assuring them that there would be no controversial statements from the 'A' group anymore.
After hearing Joseph's explanation, the 'I' group agreed to the move for ceasefire but reserved the right to retaliate sharply if more statements were made. "Some differences of opinions may come up but the party knows how to solve them through discussions," Chennithala said after talks with Chandy held at the State Congress headquarters. Sudheeran mediated the talks.
Rejecting Satheesan's allegation, Chief Minister Chandy claimed that his Government was not in the "black shadow" of corruption. He added that neither the party nor the ruling front had the kind of problems ascribed to them by the media. Reports said that Industries Minister PK Kunhalikutty of the Muslim league had played a key role in establishing peace in Congress.
The statements on graft in Government by Antony and Satheesan had come in the context of the crisis posed to the Chandy regime by the bribery charges against Finance Minister KM Mani and Excise Minister K Babu. Mani and Babu have been accused of taking Rs 1 crore and Rs 10 crore respectively as bribe from bar owners. The Vigilance is presently probing both the cases.
While Mani's party, Kerala Congress (M), seems to be convinced that the charge against him was the result of a conspiracy hatched within the UDF, many in the Congress's 'A' group feels that the 'I' group was behind the allegation against Babu, a close aide of Chandy, especially as its leader Chennithala is the Home Minister holding the charge of Vigilance.