The rift between Congress I group and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has widened with the latest developments in the Congress in connection with giving deputy chief minister post to Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala.
The IUML strongly believes that the I group played a crucial role in projecting the fifth minister issue as a communal one, and, according to some critics, the IUML has used the deputy chief minister issue to take revenge against the I group.
The issues, evolved between the Congress I and the IUML at the time of fifth minister controversy, have not settled even one year after the swearing in of Manjalamkuzhi Ali in the Cabinet. It is known that the IUML had used its clout in the UDF to block the chances of Ramesh Chennithala entering the Cabinet with the second rank.
“I group had played cheap tricks to prevent the IUML from getting a fifth minister post in the state cabinet. The communal remarks from the Nair Service Society against allocating the fifth minister post to the IUML were part of that game.
The wound has not healed yet, though one fraction in the IUML is ready for compromise, in order to prevent destabilisation of the UDF. The recent remarks by Ramesh Chennithala against the IUML have worsened the relationship between the Congress I and the IUML. With the latest developments in New Delhi on Friday, the rift between the IUML and the Congress I has become even wider,” an IUML leader close to the senior leaders said seeking anonymity.
Congress leader K Muraleedharan said that the IUML and the Chief Minister were having a close relationship. But he denied this bonhomie having any role in the latest developments.
“Oommen Chandy and the IUML are having a close relationship as we all know. I do not know whether the IUML has any dislike towards Congress I group at present,” K Muraleedharan said.
E T Muhammed Basheer MP said they were taking a balancing path in the issues between the two groups in Congress. “IUML does not like to be branded as anti-A or anti-I in the fight between two groups in Congress. But we cannot accept they blaming IUML for the unsolved internal issues in Congress. We do not have any role in the internal matters of Congress,” ET said.
IUML is also having a contention that the issues the party had raised against some Congress I leaders had not yet been addressed by the central leadership.
They blame that the internal issues in Congress are overshadowing the real issues in the UDF.
