The State committee of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) will meet here on Sunday primarily to discuss the allegations of encroachment against Transport Minister Thomas Chandy and, perhaps, take a call on his continuation in the Cabinet.
There are two options before the LDF leadership: one, to ask Mr. Chandy to step down to save the ruling alliance from further embarrassment and two, to wait for the Kerala High Court’s decision on a writ petitions filed by him and against him.
The CPI, which controls the Revenue portfolio and has had an almost open run-in with Mr. Chandy over the issue, is firm that he should go at the earliest. Going by what the party’s top leaders say, the CPI leadership has communicated its mind to the CPI(M) leadership in the strongest possible terms. Whether the LDF leadership would go by the wish of the CPI would depend on what stand Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would take in the matter.
The Chief Minister has, so far, remained non-committal on asking Mr. Chandy to go. He is in receipt of the Advocate General’s advice on the subject which is reportedly weighted in favour of a wait-and-watch approach till the Kerala High Court takes a view in the matter, but with the warning that if the High Court takes a stern view, it could mean more embarrassment for the government. And that is the point that the CPI has decided to drive home when the LDF panel meets.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), to which Mr. Chandy belongs, is of the view that there should not be any decision to remove Mr. Chandy from the Cabinet till the High Court expresses its view. But when that will be is anybody’s guess.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and, in some way, the BJP have been pressing for Mr. Chandy’s resignation and, given the severe loss of face that the Congress and its allies have suffered with the G. Sivarajan Commission report on solar scam indicting several top UDF leaders, the UDF is likely to step up its campaign for Mr. Chandy’s resignation.
