What goes around, comes around!
Political pundits are in a mad rush. What prompted KPCC president M M Hassan to make such a startling confession? What was the intent? At whose behest? Was it his own call?
Whatever be the provocation, ‘leader’ K Karunakaran must be smiling from whichever world he is in! So are his children from this world. What a confession it has turned out to be!
The confession went something like this: “When the ‘A’ brigade went on the rampagefollowing the ISRO spy scandal and was going all out for K Karunakaran’s ouster as the Chief Minister, A K Antony had advised Oommen Chandy and Hassan not to topple the leader as it would not be good for the party. But a hard-nosed Hassan and an obdurate Chandy did not pay heed to the wise words of the peacenik. Antony had suggested the rebels could ask for a change in style or even censure the leader but should not attempt a leadership change.”
Eyebrows were raised following the confession. Questions were asked. Motives were being attributed. A visibly irked Oommen Chandy asked scribes to go and ask Hassan himself as to what he intended. The confession has left more questions unanswered.Though Oommen Chandy has been the Chief Operating Officer of the ‘A’ faction or ‘A’ group as is popularly known, the chief beneficiary has been Antony after whom the faction is named. He might have advised his generals not to topple Karunakaran, but it was none other than him who landed in a special Air force aircraft to take over when Karunakaran finally stepped down.
And it is yet to be revealed whether A K, who pacified his aides, did try to advise the then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao against removing Karunakaran! We are yet to hear a revelation about Antony asking his men to disband the group and has been his bank of strength till he had to exit unceremoniously following the debacle in the Lok Sabha elections.
Critics within the ‘A’ group, have already found motivations for Hassan’s revelation! An attempt to humour A K in a last-ditch effort at holding on to the PCC president’s post?! Oommen Chandy’s detractors aren’t silent either.They try to portray the ‘solar travails’ as destiny’s retribution for leading the coup against Karunakaran! What goes around, comes around?