KOCHI:Despite the wafer thin majority in the 13th Assembly and the perennial controversies that accompany the government, Oommen Chandy has emerged as the first Congress Chief Minister in the last 28 years to complete four years in office in the State.
Though the CPM, during this period, could carry three of its ministries to the elections without any change at helm, two Congress ministries had to oblige to the call for change at the top before entering the fourth year.
Chandy is second only to K Karunakaran, the first Congressman to complete his term in office. Chandy, the 11th person to head the State, is the fourth leader from the Congress, after R Shankar, K Karunakaran and A K Antony, to reach the coveted position. Though the government led by the CPI under C Achutha Menon was the first to complete the five-year term in the State, the third UDF government headed by Karunakaran - assumed office on May 24, 1982 - was the first ministry under the Congress leadership to complete the full term. However, Karunakaran had an unceremonious exit from the Chief Minister’s office during his next term, thanks to the controversial spy case. Then, Antony followed Karunakaran after his resignation in 1995, as he did in 1977, to complete the term. Even the Antony government, which came into power in 2001 with the support of 99 UDF MLAs, crossed the fourth year, amidst unrest among the partners. The unrest was triggered by a statement by the CM on ‘the plight of the majority community.’
Meanwhile, the LDF ministries led by the CPM survived the test of time to complete the term. Almost all the Chief Ministers completed their term in the Assembly, even though the government headed by E K Nayanar had to resign in the fourth year in 1991, following a decision by the party to face the election. The next ministry, which came into office in 1996 with high drama amidst the selection of Nayanar who did not contest polls and failure of Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan in Mararikkulam, completed the five-year term to become first government under LDF to do so. The government headed by VS followed suit after it assumed office in 2006.
Chandy has emerged as the first Cong CM in the last 28 years to complete four years in office in the state
He is second only to K Karunakaran, the first Congressman to complete his term in office