CPM offensive takes back seat as Adoor Prakash lets UDF 'dissent genie' out of the bottle

The political advantage the Congress could have gained in Kerala from widespread attacks by the CPM and its organisations on ministers appears to have been overshadowed by the dissent voiced by UDF convenor Adoor Prakash over the functioning of the alliance, with the political discourse now centred on differences within the ruling front.

Even KPCC president and Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph's efforts to bring the CPM attacks into focus through a press conference were overshadowed, as most questions from reporters centred on Adoor Prakash and the differences within the UDF.

When asked about the KPCC president's stance on Prakash's comments, Joseph appeared annoyed and said the UDF convenor had already made it clear that he would take up the matter with the Congress national leadership. He declined to comment further. Reporters continued to question him on the issue, but Joseph stuck to his response. “The matter is before the consideration of the AICC (All India Congress Committee). They will take a decision on that,” he said.

Prakash, on Thursday, had alleged that the government and Chief Minister V D Satheesan were taking decisions without consulting the UDF convenor and that he was being kept in the dark. On Friday, he reiterated his position and said he would take up the issues with the AICC. Prakash's comments have taken the party by surprise, with even the Congress leadership in Kerala seeking to distance itself from the controversy and leaving the matter to the AICC.

Joseph was also asked whether he too had been kept out of major government decisions or discussions. He said he had been actively engaging with KPCC leaders, the Chief Minister and leaders at different levels to keep communication channels open.

One of Prakash's main points of contention was the Cabinet's decision to appoint IUML leader and former minister M K Muneer as chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission and Forward Bloc general secretary G Devarajan as Kerala's special representative in Delhi, both with Cabinet rank, without consulting him.

Joseph said Muneer deserved the post and cited his qualifications, including his being the son of former Chief Minister C H Mohammed Koya, as well as his experience in government posts and as public worker. As questions over Prakash's open criticism mounted, Joseph ended the press conference and left.

His response came minutes after senior Congress leader and Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan criticised Prakash for taking internal UDF matters to the media.

Unnithan said Prakash should not have made public issues that should have been discussed within party forums. “It was inappropriate to make matters public which should have been discussed within the party and party forums,” he said, also accusing the UDF convenor of pushing his personal agenda in the matter. Unnithan pointed to the efforts of UDF workers in bringing the alliance to power in the state after 10 years and said Prakash should have represented their concerns instead of focusing on his own.

Unnithan also pointed to what he described as a lack of leadership within the KPCC that allowed the issues to spill into the public domain.

“The KPCC president, working presidents and the Youth Congress president are now ministers,” he said, referring to ministers Sunny Joseph, A P Anilkumar and O J Janeesh. Suggesting that their ministerial responsibilities may be leaving them with limited time to focus on organisational matters, Unnithan called for a change in the KPCC leadership. He recalled that Joseph had earlier said he would be happy to give up the post of KPCC president. He also said a change in leadership could help streamline appointments to boards and corporations. At present, he said, the same people are handling both party and government decisions.

Earlier, Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar had also distanced himself from questions over Prakash's comments.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Prakash said he had made the issues public on his own and without anyone pushing him to do so. There had been speculation that he had the backing of AICC general secretary K C Venugopal in raising the issues. However, Prakash dismissed the suggestion, saying he had not even called Venugopal.

With Prakash now set to take the matter to the national leadership, the Congress leadership in Kerala has largely distanced itself from his criticism, leaving the UDF convenor to take his concerns directly to the AICC.