Chandy plays safe amid clash of interests in Congress

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Thiruvananthapuram: An internal tug of war is going on in the state Congress party, as some leaders with conflicting interests are seeking to grab powerful positions in the government and the party, and chief minister Oommen Chandy is shrewdly playing a balancing act. It is common knowledge that while the chief minister had time and again welcomed KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala to join the cabinet as deputy chief minister, the latter kept declining the offer.
The fact is, both have their personal and group interests at stake. According to some Congress sources, Chandy was keen on seeing an alternative Nair leader coming up, rather than Chennithala being the sole link between the Congress and the NSS. Thiruvanchoor was close to the NSS leadership, and Chandy, keeping his plans in mind, gave Thiruvan-choor the home portfolio, by way of a solution to solve the fifth minister row. Sensing danger, the ‘I’ camp advised Chennithala not to accept the Deputy CM offer and instead remain at the helm of the party.
The cabinet expansion had taken place on 12 April last with the blessings of defence minister A.K. Antony. However, Antony and Chennithala had no inkling till the last moment when Muslim League got a fifth minister in the form of Manjalamkuzhi Ali – an issue that raised the ire of the NSS in particular. What was not known to the two leaders was also Chandy’s plan to give Thiruvanchoor the home portfolio. This left Chennithala red-faced.
All these months, Chennithala and his’ I’ camp have been nursing the wounds, faced as they were with Chandy’s smart games, but made no public issue out of their concerns.