On a day which witnessed the week-long impasse over Congress candidate selection concluding to his satisfaction, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was all confidence: summarily dismissing the new bout of allegations raised by solar scam accused Saritha S. Nair; giving a backhanded pat to KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran; engaging in a closed room discussion with Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash; participating in two election conventions; meeting and receiving complaints from scores of people; and as usual commencing his day at his home parish church at Puthuppally.
Speaking to media persons who met him for his reaction on Saritha’s allegations, Mr. Chandy said it was a clear case of conspiracy. “The same person had told media earlier that I was like her father,” Mr. Chandy said and added that such an allegation was never raised while she deposed before the solar commission.
“Nor did her advocate raise any such issue while I deposed before the commission. I was there for 14 hours but he never raised a single question,” he said.
There were so many attempts to bring down his government and this was only the latest attempt in their effort, Mr. Chandy said. According to him, these allegations will in no way impact the ensuing elections. The State had gone through several elections during the past three years when such allegations were raised. However, these allegations had no impact on the elections, he said.
Reacting to a question, Mr. Chandy said the conspiracy was hatched outside the realm of politics.
Earlier, speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the election convention at Vakathanam, Mr. Chandy rejected claims to the effect that the party high command had given in to his pressure tactics. “The high command never bows to pressures. They listen to all voices and take their own decision,” Mr. Chandy said and added that this time there were only very few points of difference.
“He is working for the good and victory of the party,” Mr. Chandy said with a smile, when asked the stance taken by Mr. Sudheeran. In the morning, speaking to media persons who met him at Puthuppally, Mr. Chandy said he was busy on Sundays as he had to meet the people from his constituency, clearly a retort against Mr. Sudheeran’s jibe against him in New Delhi.
The KPCC president had on Saturday said that “those who are busy have left earlier,” when asked about the sudden departure of Mr. Chandy while the discussions with the high command were in progress.
To another question, he said Mr. Prakash, whose candidature was reportedly contested by Mr. Sudheeran, was a tall leader of the Congress party and he need not contest as an independent.
In between, Mr. Chandy also found time to hold a 45-minute closed door discussion with Mr. Prakash at the PWD guest house.
