Bid to mollify Chandy before PAC meet

The Congress high command has initiated moves to mollify the sulking former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and secure his participation in Saturday’s political affairs committee (PAC) meeting by inviting him for discussions in New Delhi.

All India Congress Committee general secretary (in-charge of Kerala) Mukul Wasnik on Thursday had a telephone conversation with Mr. Chandy, who has been sulking over the raw deal doled out to him and his supporters in recent times, the latest being the revamp that witnessed the induction of new District Congress Committee presidents.

Mr. Wasnik’s intervention apparently came after senior Congress leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, briefed the Delhi leaders about the negative impact Mr. Chandy’s boycott would have on the series of campaigns the party and the United Democratic Front (UDF) have planned against the Modi government’s demonetisation and Pinarayi government’s functional paralysis.

Mr. Chandy’s grouse is that only he and his men have had to take the blame for the drubbing that the UDF got in the Assembly election. The UDF would have fared better in the election, but for the pre-election hard line adopted by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president V.M. Sudheeran on some of the Cabinet decisions and his stand on ticket allocation for some of Mr. Chandy’s men.

Instead of holding the leadership troika responsible for the electoral setback, only he had to give up ground. The worst part is that the high command ignored the relative strength of his faction while going about the selection of DCC president, with Mr. Sudheeran getting a preference as one of his close supporter T.N. Pratapan was chosen for the DCC post.

In view of the high command’s attitude, Mr. Chandy feels that his attending the political affairs committee will serve no purpose. Initially, he refused to give dates for the PAC, displaying his resentment in his own characteristic style.

The former Chief Minister attended the UDF meeting, but kept everyone guessing whether he would attend the PAC. No one in the Congress is too sure about the outcome of the Delhi visit.

There is no question of the Congress leadership changing any of the DCC presidents. As of now, the party high command will find it difficult to work out a formula that would satisfy Mr. Chandy, according to party sources.