Special Correspondent

Alleges differences between parties, Ministers

Says CPI(M) trying to corner prime land

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala has alleged that the Left Democratic Front and the government it leads are caught in a mire of multiple factionalism that has paralysed the administration.

Addressing a meet-the-press programme organised by the Kesari Memorial Journalists' Trust on the fourth anniversary of the government on Monday, Mr. Chennithala said the hallmark of the ruling front was differences between parties, Ministers, Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues. The Cabinet had lost its collective responsibility and the LDF was a directionless ship that would soon sink.

Several coalition partners had been forced to leave, while several social groups which supported the LDF had started abandoning it. This was because of the CPI (M)'s attitude, he said. “The Chief Minister's position is pathetic. He is a puppet and none of his colleagues takes orders from him. As the team captain, he is becoming weaker,” Mr. Chennithala said.

The KPCC president trained his gun on the Communist Party of India (Marxist) accusing it of political inconsistency. Mr. Chennithala pointed out the shifting stand of the party on its relationship with the People's Democratic Party of Adbul Nasir Maudani and the Jamaath-e-Islami Hind.

The CPI(M), after seeking the latter's votes for years has suddenly discovered that the organisation was aspiring for a theocratic state. The party and the LDF have no qualms in taking in the Kerala Congress leader P.C. Thomas who has been disqualified from contesting elections for misusing religion.

The CPI(M) has become a land shark trying to corner prime land in cities, he said listing out such attempts in Kozhikode, Kannur and Ernakulam.

With the affluent

The party had a policy and a clear cut stand in the past, but today, the party was with the affluent sections. This was reflected in the way the State was being administered with several pro-poor programmes, both Central and State sponsored, falling by the wayside.

Schemes such as the MGNREGS, Kuttanad and Idukki packages have not been implemented properly to benefit the poor. The government has failed to even come out with the list of persons below the poverty line, not to mention distribution of land for the poor tribals.

Plan utilisation was just about 50 per cent. The LDF's prestigious EMS housing scheme and the MN one-lakh housing renovation scheme had run into trouble over differences between the CPI(M) and the CPI. The government should disclose the actual state of affairs of these two projects, he said.