THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The uneasy equation between the two warring groups in the Congress party in Kerala has come to the fore after a break. The warring groups are referred as group ‘A’ and ‘I’. The former are followers of present Defence Minister A K Antony and the latter are the disciples of former chief minister K Karunakaran.
Group ‘A’ is now led by none other than Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, and the ‘I’ faction is grouped under Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President Ramesh Chennithala.The group war in the state Congress unit surfaced after a long gap, with lower rung leaders of the ‘I’ group feeling isolated and sidelined as the ‘A’ group has gained virtual control of the police department. The issue snowballed recently with the irrepressible Kannur MP K Sudhakaran locking horns with the district police chief Anoop John Kuruvilla, a young IPS officer, for ordering removal of a flex board carrying the picture of the MP. The ‘I’ group charges that Benny Behanan MLA and P T Thomas MP, both blue-eyed boys of Chandy, who holds the Home portfolio, are the ones who are calling the shots in the police department now.
Hitting out at Chandy for supporting the Kannur SP in the poster issue, Sudhakaran said, “The rules are applicable to the chief minister also, whose posters put up by the Police Association are there across the state.”
Meanwhile, the chief minister took the help of Chennithala to settle the issue. The KPCC chief became accommodative once again and at last, a truce has been arrived. Chennithala himself declared a total ban on airing of criticism by party workers and leaders in public on organisational or government matters. Only time will say how long the peace between the two groups will last.