At a public reception, Achuthanandan couldn’t hold back his vitriol at the highly criticised trifurcation of the Local Self-Government department by the Oommen Chandy Government under political compulsion.
The Government had to split the department into three and allocate Urban Affairs to Indian Union Muslim League leader P K Kunhalikutty and Panchayats to his party colleague Dr M K Muneer while keeping Rural Development with Congress minister K C Joseph. Under attack from several quarters for the retrograde step, Chandy later set up a ministerial sub-committee to coordinate the three divisions.
But Achuthanandan had a different take. “Kunhalikutty has taken urban affairs because that is the area which will earn him money.. and what can Oommen Chandy do, he’ll piss if Kunhalikutty gives him a hard look,’’ he said in his inimitable style.
The former chief minister was indirectly referring to the alleged blackmailing tactics of the IUML which has a crucial 20 MLAs in the new House. The IUML had already begun pressure tactics when it unilaterally announced the name of a fifth ministerial representative which it has been demanding.
Achuthanandan also took an indirect dig at his party leadership when he blamed the ‘carelessness’ of the party workers for the narrow margins in which his party lost in three seats. “The total votes that separated the UDF winners from ours add up to just 1,137. If our workers had worked actively as in some booths in Malampuzha (where he won) they would not have come back to power,’’ he said.
With Achuthanandan continuing from where he apparently left during electioneering, the UDF allies which have been grappling with myriad inner-party problems can rest assured that their troubles have only begun.
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