No doubt, the Congress and the United Democratic Front(UDF) Government headed by the party have been stunned by the crushing defeat the party has suffered in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. The party’s hopes of bagging at least one state, Chhattisgarh, have also been belied, leaving it red-faced.

In a way, it is a moment of truth for the Congress in Kerala. Despite repeated requests and warnings from its allies in the UDF Government, the Congress has not cared to initiate steps to undo the damage inflicted by the party’s various acts of omission and commission and the deleterious effect of various scams including the infamous solar scam.

The post-assembly election scenario has provided the allies, straining at the leash, with an opportunity to grill the Congress; and they are deriving a sadistic pleasure from twisting the knife in the Congress wound! We warned you to mend your ways, but you did not care. Now you have no other option but to face the music in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. That is the refrain of the angry allies.

The Indian Muslim League, the most powerful ally of the Congress in the State, has made no secret of its displeasure at the turn of events. IUML strongman and Industries Minister, P. K. Kunhalikutty has bluntly told the Congress to shape up fast. The Congress must draw appropriate lessons from its debacle in the four states, and end rampant groupism plaguing the party. Otherwise, the Kerala unit will suffer a similar drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections. That is the message delivered by the IUML leaders.

Similar sentiments have been expressed by anther ally, the Kerala Congress(M) as well. Such is the disgust in the KC(M) over the Congress’s refusal to mend its errant ways that speculation is rife that the party may cross over to the Left Democratic Front sooner than later. Smaller allies like the Communist Marxist Party(CMP) of former Marxist veteran M. V. Raghavan, the Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samiti(JSS) led by K. R. Gowri and the Socialist Janata(Democratic) also want the Congress to spruce up the UDF Government’s scam-sullied image.

In fact, the allies think that the Congress in Kerala must take urgent steps to put an end to internecine groupism. The damage groupism has inflicted on the party in states like Rajasthan, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh is there for all to see. The factional feud between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and senior Congress leader C P Joshi was one of the factors that accounted for the party’s humiliating defeat in that State. Unless the Congress ends groupism and functions as a united party, it will be wiped out in the Lok Sabha polls, the allies feel.

Not only allies, even senior Congress leaders are a worried lot. A highly respected party leader, V. M. Sudheeran, one of the few leaders who belong to no group, hit the nail on the head with his caustic comment: there are only group leaders, and no Congress leaders in Kerala! Sudheeran’s sentiments are shared by many other party leaders, too. In the post assembly poll debacle setting, more leaders are likely to come out openly against the groupism lacerating the party.

The Kerala BJP leaders are, expectedly, in a celebratory mood. They say that the spectacular show by the BJP in the four states has raised expectations in Kerala as well. There is an air of expectancy in the Kwerala BJP camp. The jubilant BJP leaders think the time is now ripe for the party to open its electoral account in Kerala. And that long-standing dream of the party will become a reality in the Lok Sabha elections, they opine. True, there are a few factors which favour the BJP in the state. For instance, the Hindu community is angry over the unabashed minority appeasement policy of the Oommen Chandy Government. The resultant polarization of the majority community votes will stand the party in good stead this time around, calculate the State BJP leaders. But their optimism must be tempered by the ground reality: the sharp division in the Kerala unit. If the central leadership can get the bickering Kerala leaders to sink their differences and work like a united team, the party may give the UDF and the LDF a run for their money in the parliamentary polls early next year. But, then, that is a BIG IF.

Another development which must worry the BJP is that the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP), buoyed by its Capital success, has decided to open an office in Kochi and have representatives in all districts. It is clearly an attempt by the AAP to emerge as an alternative to both the UDF and the LDF. And that will pose a serious challenge to the BJP, which is hoping to present itself as the third alternative in Kerala, cashing in on the mood of disillusionment among the Hindu voters.(IPA Service)