Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Tuesday held joint and separate discussions with Indian Union Muslim League leader P.K. Kunhalikutty and Kerala Congress(M) leader K.M Mani on the proposed Cabinet reshuffle.
He initiated discussions after arriving here from Delhi this morning, in what is termed as the implementation of plan B to solve the problems in the Congress.
More discussions will be held with the two major partners in the next couple of days, prior to making it to the national capital possibly on Friday, depending on disposal of the Telangana issue.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala, who has stayed back in Delhi, was firm on his decision not to join the Chandy Cabinet.
His supporters alleged that another move was on to insult him by reviving certain proposals that had been given up.
The ‘A’ faction appeared to be keen on reviving the possibilities of deputy chief minister’s post.
The Indian Union Muslim League promptly shot the proposal down.
Mr. Kunhalikutty, speaking to the media, maintained that his party had expressed his opinion on the issues affecting the Congress and the UDF. “We do not want a public debate on these issues whether positive or negative,” he said.
When the deputy chief minister’s post was first mooted, the IUML had made it clear that it was the second largest force in the UDF and, therefore, held the second slot in the pecking order. IUML ministers had held the post of deputy chief minister in the 1982-87 Karunakaran government.
The course of developments on Tuesday clearly indicated that induction of Mr. Chennithala into the Chandy Cabinet and some of the issues that the coalition partners have in the UDF scheme of things will be handled as a package.
