The Hindu : Cong. rules out change of leadership in Kerala

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 30, 2003

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Cong. rules out change of leadership in Kerala

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 29. The Congress today attributed the Ernakulam bypoll result to problems within the party's Kerala unit, and scoffed at demands for the Chief Minister, A. K. Antony's resignation saying the mandate was not a reflection on his administration, even as CPI (M) leaders from the State maintained that this election could well lead to many changes in the State's politics.

Despite identifying "internal problems" as the cause for the rout, the party stopped short of accusing the senior leader, K. Karunakaran. While the official spokesman, S. Jaipal Reddy, side-stepped a question on whether Mr. Karunakaran was responsible with a "Did-I-say-so? Don't-put-words-in-my-mouth" reply, the AICC in-charge of Kerala, Ahmed Patel, said the verdict "may" have been influenced by the "Karunakaran factor".

However, both maintained that the party's central leadership had not made an error of judgment in fielding M. O. John from the constituency that has been the "preserve" of the Karunakaran faction for years on end. "The high command does not recognise any factions," Mr. Reddy said at the official briefing. Earlier in the day, Mr. Patel told reporters that merit had been the only consideration in choosing Mr. John.

Of the view that a bypoll result could not be seen as a barometer on the people's mood, they said while the Opposition was well within its rights to demand the Chief Minister's resignation, one election result was not enough to decide the fate of a Government. "There is no question of a leadership change," Mr. Patel said, adding that a Cabinet reshuffle — a long-pending demand of the Karunakaran faction — was the Chief Minister's prerogative.

Soon after the result was out, CPI (M) leaders from the State — the former Kerala Chief Minister, E. K. Nayanar, the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, V. S. Achudanandan, and the party's State secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan — who were here to attend the CPI (M) Central Committee meeting, demanded Mr. Antony's resignation as he had gone to the people seeking support for his Government. "The LDF asked the electorate to vote against the State Government. The people have given a clear mandate, and propriety demands that Mr. Antony resign."

While the CPI (M) has decided to "wait and watch" the latest edition of the `Antony-Karunakaran war of wits and words play itself out before revealing its hand, the Congress too said that the Disciplinary Action Committee — set up last Thursday to look into allegations of a section of its workers' campaigning against the official candidate — would give its report "shortly, in the light of which we will take appropriate steps." On the role of the Kerala Congress chief, K. Muraleedharan, in the election, Mr. Patel said: "He had campaigned with me, but there are some other reports which needed to be examined."

Insisting that no organisation could function without discipline, unity and coordination, Mr. Patel reiterated his statement made in Kerala last week that "some action was definite." To persistent questions about the "strong-arm tactics" of Mr. Karunakaran, who has survived more than one instance of open defiance in the last two years, he said: "We have to consider all this seriously."

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