Slim majority will not affect UDF stability: Chandy

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The slim majority in the Kerala Assembly will not affect the stability of the UDF ministry, chief minister Oommen Chandy said on Friday but the party and the front will do "serious introspection" to ascertain the reasons for a not-so-impressive performance in the elections.

"The number of seats in the assembly is not the issue. The real challenge is how well to perform for the benefit of the state and all sections of people. I am totally confident about the stability of the UDF government by working in this direction," Chandy told PTI in an interview here.

Reinforcing his point, Chandy said the government led by CPI stalwart late C. Achutha Menon in 1970-77 had only a majority of three MLAs but it not only was in office for seven years but also ushered in political stability after a phase of instability.

In sharp contrast, he said the UDF ministry headed by late K. Karunakaran came to power in 1977 with 111 seats but the government could not last even three years.

"I am not saying that number does not matter. But what is more important is how to carry the government forward fulfilling the expectations of people. What is the use of having high numbers if the government does not have a clear perspective about the goals to be achieved. In the present scenario, we will be doubly careful and vigilant," Chandy said.

Admitting that the poll results were not up to the expectations of Congress and UDF, he said the party and the front would seriously introspect to ascertain the reasons.

"What we expected in the assembly polls was a result thatwould reflect the trends of 2009 Parliament and civic polls in which the UDF did extremely well. But that did not happen and we will make serious analyses and take corrective steps at the organisational level," Chandy said.

Making Kerala a top class state in the country by regaining the "lost opportunities" was the real challenge for the government, he said, noting that performing well with "great care and ability" was important.

He said the argument that the UDF’s support base had shrunk was not correct.

Chandy assumed office on May 18 after leading the Congress-led combine to power unseating the LDF winning 72 seats in the 140-member Assembly.

Rejecting the CPI(M) charge that he had given into pressures from caste and religious organisations in ministry — formation, he said there was no truth whatsoever in that "propaganda".

"The UDF has always done proper balancing to accommodate all sections of the society," he said.

"This time also, we have taken care to accommodate the aspirations of various sections. But this would not mean that we have succumbed to pressures from community outfits. We took welcome suggestions from various quarters. But I have not been under pressure from any quarter," he said.