KOCHI: When the LDF announced its Cabinet members’ list in May 2016 after a thumping win in the Kerala Assembly elections, the composition of the Cabinet drew immediate applause from all quarters.
Reason: The new government broke a hitherto unwritten rule in Cabinet selection in Kerala – of naming ministers based on the state’s sensitive religion, caste and community equations.So, the 19-member LDF Cabinet had 14 members from other backward classes, scheduled castes and minorities. Also, 14 of its ‘Hindu’ ministers hailed from the backward Ezhava caste.
A similar approach is nearly unthinkable in the Congress or the UDF. For the party tries to keep every section ‘happy’, be it while selecting the legislative party leader, the KPCC president or the Opposition leader. Care is taken to ensure the ‘fine balance’ is maintained. If in the 60s and 70s C M Stephen reigned as the top party leader while R Shankar headed the Cabinet as Chief Minister, in the 80s and 90s the caste-religion equation was maintained through the K Karunakaran-A K Antony combo, and more recently with the Oommen Chandy-Ramesh Chennithala mix.
Even when V M Sudheeran was made KPCC chief, it did not break the ‘unwritten rule’ as he belonged to the Ezhava caste, which was perfectly fine in the Congress’ scheme of things as Chandy, a Christian, was the then Chief Minister. The stop-gap KPCC president M M Hassan, who replaced Sudheeran, is also acceptable as the Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala is a Nair.
Now, with the Congress preparing to undertake a major revamp of the KPCC – most probably just after the Chengannur bypoll – the big question is whether the High Command will stick to maintaining the ‘fine balance’. Since Chennithala is the Opposition leader, V D Satheesan, though promising, may have to wait since he too is a Nair.
This will be unfortunate if the Congress really wants the next generation of leaders to come up. The fact both Satheesan and Chennithala are from the ‘I’ faction, is also a disadvantage for Satheesan).
Mullapally Ramachandran, despite being 74 years of age, enjoys an advantage as he’s from Thiyya community and belongs to neither the ‘A’ or the ‘I’ groups. Further, Congress can woo the entire OBC group – Ezhavas and Thiyyas – by the move.
Ernakulam MP K V Thomas, considered close to Sonia Gandhi, also has the caste advantage since he’s a Christian. But, in the current scheme of things where Congress is battling the BJP-Hindutva forces and with less than a year to go for the general elections, the High Command is likely to stay off any more allegation of “pampering” the minorities. K Sudhakaran’s name is also being speculated for the KPCC president post. The ‘Kannur strongman’, like Mullapally, is also from the Thiyya community. So, what’s the best possible option for the High Command? Some recent moves by the Congress leadership may provide a clue.
In Odisha, Congress appointed Niranjan Patnaik as PCC president and three working presidents, while in Gujarat, it appointed four working presidents before the state went to polls.Given the delicate situation in Kerala, where young party leaders are keenly awaiting a generational change, it is likely the leadership will replicate the Odisha model, where a veteran leader will be made the PCC president, and two-three young leaders are made working presidents.
Odisha, Gujarat ‘model’ to be replicated here?
While there are several speculations over who would head the KPCC, the Congress’ move to appoint Niranjan Patnaik as PCC president along with three working presidents in Odisha and the appointment of four working presidents in Gujarat, might provide a clue as to what’s in store here. The situation in Kerala is delicate, as young party leaders are keenly awaiting a generational change in KPCC. In such a situation, it is likely the Congress might appoint a veteran leader as the PCC president, and two-three young leaders as working presidents.