It's firefighting in Kottayam UDF

By Our Staff Reporter

KOTTAYAM, SEPT. 15. With just ten days left for the local bodies elections, the discord in the UDF has come to a flashpoint with Congress(I) leaders taking out all their firefighting expertise to douse the flames of discontent both within the party and among coalition partners.

One of the ugliest scenes was enacted at Vakathanam on Thursday night when the Congress(I) candidate to the Thottackad division in Madappally Block Panchayat was seriously injured in a fisticuff with Kerala Congress(M) activists. A KC(M) activist has been admitted to hospital with injuries. The trouble started when the Congress(I) representative, the official candidate, was asked to withdraw in favour of a KC(M) man.

According to supporters of the Congress(I) candidate (who is a Karunakaran loyalist), the so called "A" group was trying to enforce its secret agenda of annihilation of the "I" group with the help of the KC(M). With factionalism in the Congress(I) getting revived as never before, a KPCC(I) member has found himself contesting as a rebel in Kottayam municipality.

Some of the coalition partners also are up in arms, confounding the complex situation. The most vociferous among them was none other than Mr T M Jacob, who without naming anyone in particular, has openly said that the `big-brotherly attitude of some of the coalition partners has created a complex situation in the district during the elections'.

The KC(Jacob) has a real grievance. It had asked for a seat in the district panchayat, but was not given. The block panchayat division of Kudamaloor was given to it, but when its candidate submitted his nomination, he was faced with the prospect of contesting against a Congress(I) candidate, that too with the `hand' as his symbol. "There had not been any meaningful discussions for seat sharing," said a senior leader. "In Kottayam everything was settled between a section of the Congress(I) and the KC(M)," he alleged and added that the effects of this election would have their reflections on the coming Assembly polls.

Even KC(M) leaders have their grievances. "We are faced with a situation in which we do not know with whom we should talk in the Congress(I). When we come out after a settlement with some of the leaders, some others suddenly emerge on the scene and say they do not agree with the settlement," says one of them.

However, a section of the Congress(I) leadership points out that whenever a settlement was reached to sort out the problem, it was at the cost of the Congress(I). "The IUML wanted a district panchayat seat this time. It was the Congress(I) which gave it the party's sitting seat. The KC(Jacob) wanted a district panchayat seat and the Congress(I) had two suggestions: Vellore and Ponkunnam. But the KC(Jacob) was not in a position to field its candidates in these segments," they said.

According to them, the party was being pushed from one side by the KC(M) with its adamant position and from within by factional leaders.

However, those belonging to the Karunakaran faction allege that whenever the party made a sacrifice in the name of coalition unity, it was one from their faction who had to withdraw. They smell a method in the madness being shown by coalition partners and allege that some of them were acting hand-in-glove with the "A" faction to annihilate the Karunakaran faction in the district.

When contacted, the Congress(I) leader, Mr Oommen Chandy, who is heading the last ditch fire fighting operations, admitted that there were some problems. "However, these were being settled. As of now, the Congress(I) has problems with the IUML in one of the wards in Kottayam Municipality and with KC(Jacob) at Kudamaloor block division. These are being settled," he said.

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