THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress leadership is set to begin negotiations this week on sharing posts in boards and corporations, with the long delayed exercise emerging as a test of the party’s ability to balance factional interests and manage pressure from UDF allies. The move follows an AICC directive to expedite appointments that have been held up amid competing claims within the Congress and the coalition. The talks will determine both the share of posts allotted to UDF partners and distribution of Congress positions among rival groups and leaders.
The Congress high command has directed the state leadership to include A P Anil Kumar in the discussion group. Earlier, the exercise was confined to Chief Minister V D Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, KPCC president Sunny Joseph and UDF convenor Adoor Prakash.
The negotiations are expected to test the relative influence of the competing factions in Congress, with the Chennithala and Venugopal camps seeking to protect their interests. Meanwhile, as CM, Satheesan is expected to have a significant say in the final selection, potentially reshaping the balance of power within the state unit. The party has drawn up criteria for allocating chairmanships of boards and corporations, with priority expected for leaders who stayed away from the assembly election or withdrew from the contest following assurances from the leadership.
Leaders who lost the election are also pressing for positions, adding to the challenge of accommodating competing claims while ensuring representation for different sections and communities.
“The party will ensure that all sections and communities are adequately represented. There is also pressure on the leadership from some leaders who lost the election,” said a KPCC office-bearer.
The Congress must also contain growing discontent among its allies over the distribution of positions. The Kerala Congress (Joseph) has conveyed its dissatisfaction over the delay in allocating a Cabinet rank post to its chairman, P J Joseph, despite his seniority in the UDF. IUML leader M K Muneer and Forward Bloc leader G Devarajan have been allotted Cabinet rank posts. Mani C Kappan has been assured of Cabinet rank, but a decision is expected only after the pending cases against him are resolved.