It is as if both the A and Vishala I groups have taken up from where they had left off in the bickering over selection of candidates for the state assembly elections. Both the dominant factions are bent upon packing the corporations with their own nominees.

Not to be left behind, senior Congress leader and Union Minister Vayalar Ravi has also let it be known that some of his close loyalists should also be given the posts of corporation chairmen. Ravi, who had thrown his hat in the ring for the Chief Minister’s post in the beginning only to give it up at a later stage, has made no secret of his displeasure over the tendency of Oommen Chandy and Ramesh to share the spoils of office, ignoring the claims of other groups in the party.

Meanwhile, the report of the Vakkom Purushothaman panel, set up by the KPCC to probe the poor performance of the Congress in the assembly elections, is gathering dust. The party has shown no eagerness to implement the report, which has blamed groupism and infighting within the State Congress for the party’s poor show in the assembly polls. The Vakkom report, it is being pointed out, is set to meet the fate that befell the Thennala Balakrishna Pillai report, which had earlier looked into the rampant groupism which has weakened the party.

Congress, the dominant partner in the United Democratic Front (UDF) coalition Government, is also strongly opposed to giving the posts of corporation chairmen to some of its smaller allies like the Communist Marxist Party (CMP) and the Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samithi (JSS) led by former Marxist veteran K R Gowri.

While the CMP has demanded as many as 8 corporation posts, the JSS has staked its claim for five corporations. As of now, the Congress is in no mood to oblige the two allies.

Another late entrant into the UDF camp, the Socialist Janata (Democratic) is also keen on getting some corporation chiefs’ posts, especially that of the fishing corporation. The Congress, however, has set its face firmly against conceding the SJD’s demand.

Unless the Congress softens its stance, the tussle over the sharing of corporation chairmen’s posts is bound to worsen. The allies have made it clear that they won’t tolerate the big brother attitude being shown by the Congress. (IPA)