Rajya Sabha seat: Oommen Chandy proves he's in command

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Mr  Oommen Chandy,  who has floored his rivals by masterminding the decision to gift   the Rajya Sabha seat to Kerala Congress (M), has defended the move saying that Mr  K. M. Mani's return to the UDF  will strengthen it.  Though facing widespread flak for the unilateral decision, Mr Chandy, who has taken over as AICC general  secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh,  has left no one in doubt who is in command. After the UDF meeting, Mr Chandy told reporters that  there were precedents for such mutual adjustments.   The Congress had taken the KC (M) seat till 1991.

“Even in  2010,  the RS seat was given to the Muslim League. Such compromises have been made by the UDF earlier also. Those who do not realise the real facts  are opposing the move now,” he said. He rejected  Mr  P. J. Kurien’s charge that he was behind the  denial of seat to him. Mr  Kurien had alleged that Mr Chandy had  masterminded  the drama and misled the AICC leadership. Mr Kurien had also claimed that Mr Chandy had tried to block him  in 2012 as well. “But A. K. Antony and Ramesh Chennithala saved me then. The AICC was also keen to send me to the RS,"  said Mr Kurien.

Mr  Kurien, 77, told reporters in Delhi that   even Mr Mani may not have dreamt of getting the   RS seat.   "The decision was not discussed in any of the party forums. It was the trio-- Chandy, P. K. Kunhalikutty and Chennithala-- who took the decision ignoring the political affairs committee,” added  Mr Kurien. The    ‘enmity’ between Mr Chandy and Mr Kurien had worsened during the 2016 Assembly elections.   Mr  Kurien was opposed to the  UDF candidates in Chengannur,  Tiruvalla  and Pathanamthitta.

 At  the fag end of the campaigning, Mr Kurien had said, “let Chandy come and see me if he really wants the UDF candidates to win  from these three seats.”  But even earlier,  Mr Kurien had the  support of Mr  A. K. Antony and  the AICC leadership. Mr Chandy   claimed that  he had ensured the RS seat  to Mr . Kurien for the first time when it  fell vacant due to V. V. Raghavan's death.  Mr Chandy recalled that at that time  the KC (M) could have demanded  the seat, but  he insisted on giving it to Mr  Kurien.