The solar scam report, which was tabled in the Assembly the other day, has virtually opened a window for the Congress High Command to induct a new set of leaders and complete the reconstitution of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee in tune with the changes in equations expected to take place after the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as All India Congress Committee president.
There had been several attempts in the past to install a fresh set of leaders who would owe their spurs to Mr. Gandhi, who had been virtually calling the shots in the Congress for some time now. But all these attempts could not break the wall of faction politics that had moulded the party in the State.
The Rahul writ could be seen in the manner Mr. V.M. Sudheeran was installed as KPCC president, ignoring the strong resentment of the two prominent factions, led by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala.
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The second round came about during the candidate selection for the Assembly elections in 2016 and the third round happened soon after the electoral drubbing that the Congress suffered in Kerala.
Each of these moves were perceived as an attempt to curtail the influence of Mr. Chandy, who had to go all out to get party ticket for Mr. K.C. Joseph, Mr. K. Babu and Mr. Adoor Prakash (all ministers in his Cabinet) and Benny Behanan.
Mr. Behanan lost out and had to make way for another close aide Mr. P.T. Thomas, who went on to win the Thrikkakkara seat.
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Frustrating exercise
The High Command’s attempt to fix responsibility for the electoral defeat turned out to be a frustrating exercise, with Mr. Chandy refusing to take the sole responsibility for the electoral defeat, putting the blame on Mr. Sudheeran, and seeking his removal as KPCC president.
Mr. Gandhi appeared to be reluctant to jettison Mr. Sudheeran, who, owing to sheer frustration, resigned on his own volition a few months later and saved the party from some embarrassment.
Mr. Chandy in his own characteristic style expressed his differences by refusing all official posts that was offered to him and signalling that his popularity was in tact.
Dodgy wicket
With the tabling of the Sivarajan Commission report on the solar scam, there is a section in the party that believes that Mr. Chandy is now on a dodgy wicket, despite the solidarity expressed by the KPCC and the Congress political affairs committee in facing the solar cases legally and politically.
Moreover, Mr. Chandy, when he was the Chief Minister, had appointed the Judicial Commission, which came out with a harsh report that indicted some other rising Congress stars too.
Senior party leaders admit that there are fewer hurdles before the High Command to go in for a total overhaul without succumbing to factional pressures, now that the KPCC general body has authorised the AICC to nominate its president.