Ramesh is correct, but only partly. Now that Chennithala has become the leader of the Opposition, the way is clear for him to become the Chief Minister should the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) win the election in 2021. That being the reality, there is no need for him to indulge his passion for groupism any more.

But the A group led by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has other ideas. The Chandy group, which has only 7 MLAs as against the 12 the I group boasts, is understandably restless. No wonder, the A group has set its sights on the post of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President. In the past, the top two posts – that of the CM and the KPCC president - used to be shared by the dominant A and I groups. So, if an I group leader is poised to become the CM in future, then the top party post should go to the A group. That explains the A group’s tussle for the KPCC chief’s post.

But there is a rub. It is not as if the KPCC chief’s post is there for the A group’s asking. KPCC president V M Sudheeran is in no mood to quit the post and enable the A group to achieve its immediate goal though he has become the target for stringent criticism for the poll debacle of the Congress-led UDF. Unfortunately for the A group, the Congress High Command, down in the dumps after the poll defeats in Kerala and Assam, has shown no inclination to ask Sudheeran to step down. After all, Sudheeran is its choice. Therefore, the A group’s plan to capture the post of KPCC chief is unlikely to succeed, at least in the immediate future.

But it is a fact that the knives are out for Sudheeran. Congress leaders, especially those belonging to the A group, have said that the party leadership is equally responsible for the party’s devastating defeat in the electoral battle. Oommen Chandy stepped aside accepting his responsibility. Sudheeran should also follow suit, argued A group leaders, particularly former excise minister K. Babu, who was among the prominent Congress losers. Babu’s contention was that he lost because the party president objected to giving ticket to him on the ground that he was under a cloud of corruption. That created a bad impression among the people, leading to his defeat, he lamented. KPCC vice-president M M Hassan, another Sudheeran baiter, identified himself with Babu’s sentiments. In fact, he went a step forward to demand Sudheeran’s resignation.

Groupism has taken a new turn with another KPCC vice-president V D Satheeshan demanding a generational change in the Congress leadership. The old guard has failed to deliver, and must make way for younger leaders, Satheeshan contended. There were other leaders who agreed with the Satheeshan line.

But, unfortunately, for Satheeshan and company, this is unlikely to happen in the near future. The reason: the seniormost Congress leader from Kerala and the High Command’s blue-eyed-boy, A K Antony does not agree with the Satheeshan line. The old leadership of the triumvirate – Oommen Chandy, Ramesh Chennithala and V M Sudheeran – is still the best bet for the Congress, he contended. The younger lot can wait, that was what Antony meant. And the High Command has always gone by Antony’s advice in matters pertaining to the Congress in Kerala.

Be that as it may, the new CLP leader Ramesh Chennithala has a Herculean task ahead of him. First, he has to lift the morale of the party, which is at its lowest ebb following the poll debacle. Ramesh must also woo back the Hindu voters who have deserted the party and gravitated towards the BJP. Simultaneously, he has to regain the confidence of a section of the minorities – both Muslims and Christians - who clearly preferred to vote for the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front(LDF) this time around. The Congress-led UDF simply did not counter the BJP-RSS menace in Kerala as vigorously and as aggressively as the CPI(M)-led LDF. No wonder, the minorities favoured the LDF. Chennithala has also to mollify the IUML and the KC(M), who are wary of him and who would have preferred Oommen Chandy to be the LOP. Either way, it is a tall task for even a seasoned leader like Ramesh Chennithala. Tough times are ahead for the Congress and the UDF. (IPA Service)