The biggest ‘victim’ of the sordid goings on, besides governance, has been Kerala Pradesh Congress president Ramesh Chennithala. Ramesh’s travails started soon after the announcement, at the end of his ‘highly successful’ Kerala yatra, that he would be joining the State Cabinet ‘to strengthen the party’.

But group rivalry prevented his smooth induction with the rival group led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy refusing to part with the Home portfolio along with the Deputy Chief Minister’s post for him, as demanded by his supporters. Angry loyalists said Ramesh has been humiliated and therefore, he should not join the cabinet. The KPCC chief himself felt slighted and declared that hereafter, the CM would go his way, and the responsibility of running the government was entirely his.

After a break, negotiations were resumed following mediation by UDF convener P P Thankachan. The ice seemed to be melting , and the CM and the KPCC chief appeared to be close to reaching an agreement.

Then came the bolt from the blue – from the Indian Union Muslim League, the second largest constituent of the Congress-led coalition government in the state. The IUML staked its claim to the dy. CM’s post, arguing that the post has gone in the past to the second largest partner in the coalition. On the two occasions when the post was created, it had gone to the IUML nominees: CH Mohammed Koya became the Dy CM in 1981-82 and Avukkadar Kutty Naha was made his deputy by the then Chief Minister K. Karunakaran during 1983-87.(IPA)