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Karunakaran godfathers new axis in UDF against Antony

D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram

A new axis of minor parties has emerged within the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala, setting back the early advantage it gained in electoral areas.

The new group, which comprises two Congress splinters, the Communist Marxist Party and the Janadipatya Samrakshana Samiti, has former chief minister K Karunakaran's blessings. The Congress factions are headed by T M Jacob and R Balakrishna Pillai, while Communist Party of India-Marxist rebels M V Raghavan and K R Gouriamma leads the CMP and JSS respectively.

Karunakaran has been desperately trying to stage a comeback to the UDF helm after he was snubbed by party president Sitaram Kesri on more than one occasion. His support to the new axis is seen as an offensive against Opposition leader A K Antony.

Though the state committee has cleared his and his son's name for the Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur seats respectively, Karunakaran is unhappy with Antony's move to allot tickets to some of his detractors. He had put up strong resistance to the allotment of the Mukundapuram seat to P C Chacko, (who is close to Sharad Pawar) and the Chirayankil seat to Pratap Varma Thampan. He is also pressing to accommodate his supporters in Ernakulam and Badagara.

Interestingly, Karunakaran's candidature is not very certain. The party leadership is reportedly against giving tickets to Rajya Sabha members. Karunakaran, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha only recently, has no chance to retain the seat in the Upper House as the equations within the state legislature is favourable to the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front. Karunakaran wants to enter the electoral fray as it will make his proposed comeback to state politics easy.

The new group that came about after they were denied a share in the 20 Lok Sabha seats is not secretive about their allegiance to Karunakaran. Jacob, who revolted against the UDF decision to provide seats only to the Indian Union Muslim League and Kerala Congress (Mani), said he was awaiting the veteran leader's return from Delhi to decide the future course of action.

Jacob had earlier threatened to quit the UDF after he was put in the dock over his statement connecting IUML leader P K Kunnalikutty to the Kozhikode sex scandal. He retracted his move only after Karunakaran intervened in the matter. But he is not ready to forgive the UDF leadership for denying seats to his party and other partners. The CMP and JSS have also expressed their bitterness over the raw deal meted out to them.

Political circles in the state think that Karunakaran may gang up with the minor parties if the high command denies him ticket. The senior Congress leader has been bitter about the dominant Antony faction ever since he was ousted from the chief ministership at the peak of the faction war in May 1995. And the recent setbacks he has suffered in Delhi has only aggravated his bitterness.

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