Decision on policy issues getting delayed

By Girish Menon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPT. 9. The delay in the reconstitution of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) is costing the largest constituent of the United Democratic Front (UDF) dear. In the absence of a party apparatus, the Congress has not been in a position to take the initiative in framing policies or getting them cleared by the UDF and implemented by the Government.

As a result, the UDF has been unable to take any decision relating to major issues. The ruling coalition has not lost any time to set up a number of sub-committees to evolve its policy perspectives. These committees include one on liberalisation and globalisation, liquor, education and sharing of corporation and boards.

In some cases, the individual constituents have been asked to discuss the draft reports submitted by these panels to the UDF High Power Committee (HPC) in their respective party forums. Most of the coalition partners, especially the smaller ones, have been prompt in coming out with their views.

Ironically, the Congress, with the largest block in the UDF since 1960s, is without a forum to discuss various policies thereby lead the coalition from the front.

The UDF has failed to take a decision on disbanding the toddy workers cooperatives as the Congress has not been able to discuss the issue threadbare. There is a general feeling among some of the UDF partners that the views of a few individuals are being presented in the UDF as that of the Congress.

The UDF sub-committee on liquor submitted its report to the HPC the other day but the KPCC president, Mr. K. Muraleedharan, stalled any kind of decision because he wanted a UDF decision on this crucial issue after the Congress discussed it and presented its views.

The Congress feels that its views on the liquor policy should be properly heard, considering the fact that the Congress, along with several other coalition partners, was recipient of the support of the Ezhava community, which has a strong presence in the liquor sector. All the UDF partners are agreed on disbanding the toddy workers cooperatives but they differ on the alternative set-up. A few of them want a public sector undertaking to take up toddy business while some others want the toddy shops to be auctioned on individual basis.

In the case of sharing corporations and boards, the Congress does not have control over the matter, with some of the ministers going ahead with nominating their supporters without waiting for the UDF to give its seal of approval. Though the controversy over the appointment of Ms. Padmaja Venugopal as Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) chairperson has taken another dimension by now, the issue serves well to point out to the confusion it has created.

The committee on economic liberalisation has hardly done any concrete work. Though the Congress has a national perspective on the economic reforms and policies, its leaders' opinions differ with the national leadership in a few sectors. There are several leaders like Mr. Vayalar Ravi who have taken consistent views on the contours of economic policies to be adopted.

Among the senior leaders, the Chief Minister, Mr. A. K. Antony, does not seem to be in any hurry to see the KPCC reconstitution as he would like to consolidate his position in the context of the pre and post-election debate over his leadership. His style of functioning is different from that of the senior Congress leader, Mr. K. Karunakaran. His decision making precedes several rounds of discussions at various levels, including the Government and the UDF. But the delay in the KPCC revamp has given him some breathing space.

But Mr. Karunakaran is impatient since the KPCC, dominated by his men, would help his men to throw the spotlight on the functioning of the Government, a virtual repeat of what happened in the 1991- 95 period.

Though Mr. Muraleedharan wanted a small and compact KPCC executive, with fewer office-bearers unlike last time, the factional logic would prevent his wish from materialising. After virtually bowing down before the first challenge as KPCC president in the matter of induction of office-bearers, Mr. Muraleedharan would have a tough task of taking the party on a smooth course with a omni bus apparatus.

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