The Sinking Feeling

Congress in Kerala is facing an existential crisis. It appears that the decades long cycle of ‘UDF for 5 years and LDF for 5 years’ is going to be a thing of the past. BJP president K Surendran has made it clear that BJP came to power in Tripura despite having no party MLA in the Assembly. Numerous corruption charges and internal bickerings have disappointed the CPM-led LDF camp. They are in a hide-and-seek game with Islamic fundamentalists for the sake of existence and to guard the last wicket in the whole country. They are hand-in-glove with Islamist outfits such as SDPI and PFI. Similarly, Congress has forged tie-up with Welfare Party, the political arm of Jamaat-e-Islami. At the moment IIUML enjoys 11 out of a total of 16 seats in Malappuram. Total UDF tally is 12. There are reports that Congress is ready to give 14 seats to IUML.

In another words Congress is controlled by IUML. Its senior leader Kunjalikkutty resigned his LS membership and shifted to Kerala politics and going to contest the polls. A fragile Congress apparatus will have to submit to the IUML’s demand, political observers believe. With the high command in a very weak position, the Congress doesn’t have any option but to give in to IUML. Even though Ramesh Chennithala was the LoP for the last 5 years, now high command asked him to give way to the party veteran Oommen Chandy as the campaign committee convener. In another words Chandy will be the natural choice as the CM if UDF gets the majority. It has upset Ramesh Chennithala’s supporters. In the meantime, BJP’s growth during the last few years has been significant. People who are fed up with the UDF-LDF circus every five years are looking for a change. Moreover, several prominent citizens like Metro Man E Sreedharan and former DGP Jacob Thomas have joined BJP. Lot of VIPs are waiting in the wings to join the party.