A closer look at Antony’s anguished outburst is in order to understand the serious of the situation which prompted him to administer the bitter medicine to bickering Congress leaders in the State.

“Even while you talk of good governance and corruption-free government, corruption is increasing in all sectors in Kerala. There is no exception,” thundered Antony. “Mere talk is not enough to tackle this. What is needed is joint action to save this,” added the highly respected Congress leader whose advice is considered the most valued by even party president, Sonia Gandhi.

This is not the first time Antony has done what he has. The only difference is that this time around he has been uncharacteristically blunt and direct. And it has had the desired effect by triggering a heated debate not only in the party circles but outside as well.

But opposition leaders have opined – rightly so - that mere talk would not do. If Antony is really sincere, he must walk the talk by taking up quick and decisive follow-up action. As a first step, he must ask the corrupt Congress ministers to quit office, said CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran. Otherwise, people at large will dismiss it as only a routine exercise devoid of any meaning, Kanam added.

Kanam does have a point. What remains to be seen is whether Antony will ensure follow-up action? Or will he content himself by issuing only statements? The point is that it is a timely wake-up call which the Congressmen in the state will do well to listen to.

Expectedly, Antony’s frank criticism has given a fresh lease of life to group war. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president, V. D. Satheeshan fired the first salvo by stating that the Oommen Chandy Government has come under the dark shadow of corruption, and that the Chief Minister must take immediate action to remove the public perception. Satheeshan, who belongs to the ‘I’ group led by Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala angered the ‘A’ group led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy by declaring that Chennithala had the best image in the party and was eminently qualified to become the CM!

Furious ‘A’ group leaders, who saw in it a clear attempt to seek removal of Chandy as CM, accused Satheeshan of being frustrated at not becoming a minister. Cultural Affairs Minister, K. C. Joseph, Chandy’s Man Friday, deplored Satheeshan’s criticism, saying that he had cast the Congress-led government in the state in a bad light with his open outburst. Such remarks will only lend grist to the opposition propaganda mill, lamented Joseph.

The A group leaders are trying, unsuccessfully, to play down the significance of Antony’s angst. They say that he was only making a general statement against the system, conveniently forgetting that the ‘corrupt’ system is being managed at present by a congress-led Government, and nothing has been done to improve matters!

Be that as it may, leaders like Satheeshan are only hitting the nail on the head by saying that in the absence of quick course correction, the party will pay a heavy price in their forthcoming local bodies elections in September-October this year, and in the assembly elections due in May next year.

It is a desperate situation, and such situations need drastic measures. The Congress can turn adversity to account only by undertaking ‘political as well as administrative surgery’ as the malady has gone far too deep to be corrected by simple measures.

Being a senior leader whose word is treated as the last word in Kerala Congress politics, Antony must summon the courage to take drastic action. He can make a beginning by insisting on the immediate resignation of corrupt Congress ministers like excise minister, K. Babu. Such strong steps alone can arrest the rapid down the hill slide of the Congress-led UDF Government in the state, corruption of which is stinking to the high heavens.

The hallmark of a great leader is his ability to take corrective action without being mindful of the consequences. Will Antony rise to the occasion? That is the question being asked not only by Congress leaders and activists but also by the people at large who are fed up with the misrule of the ‘corrupt-to-the-core’ Chandy Government. (IPA Service)