Cong(I) in a fix over party polls

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, OCT. 13. The Congress(I) in Kerala is in a fix. It would have to decide within the next 90 days whether it really wants to make a serious bid for power in the coming Assembly elections.

Elections to more than 20 per cent of the panchayats are slated to be held in November. The Election Commission has given notice for revision of electoral rolls in preparation for the Assembly polls. And the process for organisational polls have been set off with the publication of the list of primary and active members.

Will the tussle for the top slot, the KPCC(I) president, spoil the party, as it were, for the rank and file, which is desperate to see the end of the Marxist rule and the UDF back in power? The party polls have different meanings for different set of leaders. For some, election is necessary to find a slot either in State politics or national politics. Last time, Kerala went without representation in the AICC(I) because organisational elections could not be held. For the senior Congress(I) leader, Mr. K. Karunakaran, it could perhaps be the last chance to ensure that his son is ordained as KPCC(I) chief and carries on with his legacy.

The onus is on the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. A.K. Antony, to lead the UDF back into office. And he knows that the Congress(I) cannot come back if it fails to put up a fight unitedly. An election would not do any good to the party, as it would leave a trial of acrimony. Even though he would not mind going half way to accommodate Mr. Karunakaran's demand, he might find it difficult to overlook the aspirations of some of his own colleagues who have stood steadfast with him during the worst of times.

Among the States which are to witness Assembly elections, Kerala is one of the few in which the Congress(I) could hope to fare well, if one were to go by the results of the panchayat elections. Aware of the adverse impact of factional feuds on the eve of the elections, the Congress(I) High Command initiated a process to bring about a consensus.

The AICC(I) general secretary, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad, was deputed to the State mainly to see whether a consensus formula could be worked out, though Mr. Azad would assert that he had come to review the preparedness of the party for the Assembly elections.

It is apparent that the Azad mission has not succeeded. The Karunakaran faction insisted that elections be held as per schedule. It has even threatened that it will not cooperate if the existing KPCC(I) is perpetuated. Mr. Karunakaran has not hesitated to take yet another risk on the ground that the official group under Mr. Antony sorely needed organisational peace.

He has not opposed nomination through consensus, but this process should be followed even at the lowest unit. In its bid to put pressure, the Karunakaran faction even dashed off fax messages to Sonia Gandhi and the Congress(I) Election Authority, Mr. Ram Niwas Mirdha, expressing apprehension that the election would be delayed.

Mr. Karunakaran has apparently taken a tough position in order to wrest the best bargain. Recently, he took a strong position on the disbanding of the Youth Congress(I) and the High Command lost no time in fulfilling its promise soon after the local bodies elections.

A view point is fast emerging in the Congress(I) that the organisational elections be deferred till the Assembly elections are over. According to this school, the main issue before the party workers was whether the party could equip itself to capture power. It is important for all the factions to ensure victory for their candidates. This would be possible only if an atmosphere is created for a truce. This school has suggested that the organisational elections be put off till the Assembly polls.

The attempts to arrive at a consensus is likely to continue. On Thursday evening, Mr. Karunakaran hosted a dinner to Mr. Azad. Mr. Antony, who is undergoing ayurvedic treatment, deputed Mr. Oommen Chandy for the dinner meet. But Mr. Azad's two-day sojourn, during which he held several rounds of discussions with all the factional leaders, did not produce any results. The Third Group and the Antony Group maintained its opposition to Mr. Muralidharan's induction.

Consequent on the inability to arrive at a consensus, the appointment of district returning officers and block returning officers has been delayed. Mr. Karunakaran demanded that the DROs be appointed in consultation with the DCC(I) president, while the other factions wanted it in consultation with the DCC(I)s as per the party constitution.

Mr. Karunakaran and Mr. Antony have been invited to Delhi for talks on October 18, in yet another bid to bring about a consensus.

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Section  : Southern States
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