Chandy, Ramesh struggle to contain berth fallout

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With discontent growing  in the Congress over the fifth minister allotment to IUML, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala are slated to meet the  High Command in Delhi in the coming days to sort out the issues.  Chandy told reporters on Friday that he was taking up the responsibility of allotting the fifth minister berth to IUML. Already, Aryadan Mohammed who kept away from the swearing-in ceremony protesting against the fifth ministership to IUML has expressed his concern to A K Antony. He even offered to quit as minister which was objected to by Antony.Ramesh also contacted the Congress leadership and conveyed the party leaders’ resentment over keeping the portfolio reallocation as a secret till the last minute.  “Though the allotment of fifth berth to IUML was taken in consultation with the KPCC chief, he and other senior Congress leaders were kept in the dark by the CM regarding the reallocation. It was at the last minute after getting the nod from the High Command that the CM told Ramesh and UDF convenor P P Thankachan about the shuffle. Chandy on Wednesday night had communicated to the High Command  the firm stand of the IUML. If the Congress did not  accept  the IUML demand, it was ready to withdraw its ministers and  support the government from outside. ‘’It is clear that CM was in a great dilemma. The allotment of berth to IUML and the portfolio reallocation to maintain communal balance were  done in this context,” said T N Prathapan, a Chandy loyalist. K Muraleedharan said that the induction of the fifth minister  has tarnished the image of the party and the government. Congress MP P J Kurien said the situation should have been avoided. Congress leader K Babu also opined that it was better if the fifth berth was not given to IUML.  ‘’The decision to grant the IUML a fifth berth could have been avoided, but it was taken unitedly at a UDF meet. Those criticising the Chief Minister for giving it to the IUML had not placed any other formula  acceptable to all,” he said.