Leadership puzzle confronts Kerala

 While the CPM has been trying to brush aside claims that Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan will not be leading the legislature party after the elections, the United Democratic Front (UDF) has also been trying to underplay the significance of PCC chief Ramesh Chennithala contesting the elections as a potential rival for Oommen Chandy. 

The CPM’s leadership issue continued to be shrouded in secrecy with the party maintaining that it would elect its leader only after the elections. The party had chosen Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan to lead the Left Democratic Front (LDF) citing Achuthanandan’s “ill-health” though the chief minister had publicly stated that he was keen to lead the party in the elections. Achuthanandan has been the LDF’s biggest draw in its campaigning so far.

In the Congress, Ramesh Chennithala was surprisingly made a candidate setting off speculation. However, Defence Minister A K Antony appeared to have put at rest all rumours in this regard in the UDF by claiming that the Congress workers and leaders had a clear idea about their leader.

“Everybody knows who the chief minister would be if the UDF is voted back to power,”  he said pointing to Chandy’s imminent election as CLP leader. Union Minister Vayalar Ravi has also thrown his weight behind Chandy by pointing to his vast experience in the Congress politics in the state.

Meanwhile, campaigning has picked up steam in the second phase with the arrival of national leaders. CPM general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI leader A B Bardhan and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj arrived for campaigning on Thursday and got into the act on Friday.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, BJP leader L K Advani and Rahul Gandhi are among those who are slated to address meetings in the coming days.

Karat addressed several meetings in Thrissur and Ernakulam district on Friday. He  claimed that the practice of the LDF and UDF alternately tasting power every five years was over. Both Karat and Bardhan were confident that the LDF would retain power this time.