THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as political quicksands gathered around the UDF Government all of a sudden on Monday following the adverse directive issued by the Vigilance Special Court against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the palmolein case and the Opposition clamouring for his resignation, the extraordinary zeal with which all prominent leaders from the UDF camp rushed to the defence of Chandy underscored a collective realisation to remain united and outwit the expected Opposition onslaught on the issue. The issue virtually turned out to be a political crisis when Chandy rattled by the court observations even began toying with the idea of putting in his papers. Hectic parleys at the Chief Minister’s office in which KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala, Finance Minister K M Mani and Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty and a few others took part, eventually decided to hold ground at any cost. Moreover, word had come from the Congress high command also blocking any hasty decision by Chandy. Defence Minister A K Antony had reportedly asked Chandy to think about the party and the UDF first, a reliable source told ‘Express’. The day’s developments showed the high stakes the Congress and UDF partners have in the case, on account of the wafer-thin majority of the government. Leaders were non-committal whether Chandy would hold charge of the Vigilance Department during the three-month period when a fresh report will have to be submitted as directed by the court. Chandy, in spite of reiterating his position that he will counter the case both legally and morally, was left with little choice but to yield to the wishes of his party colleagues and front partners, at least for the time being. The arguments that the first Vigilance report filed during the term of an LDF Government in the case had no mention of Chandy’s name and even now the Vigilance court has not named him as an accused in the case, were highlighted as a face-saving exercise. That none other than Ramesh Chennithala was in the forefront with the stand that ‘’none can include an innocent and untainted Oommen Chandy as an accused in the case’’ put to rest the speculation that he might be one of the contenders for the CM’s post, in the event of Chandy’s resignation.P K Kunhalikutty followed by K M Mani had also taken a strong stand that Chandy should not step down since there was no legal compulsion following Monday’s court directive. Chandy’s trusted aides and ministers K Babu and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as well as Benny Behanan MLA also prevailed upon him. If the Vigilance court directive and subsequent Opposition outcry caught Chandy on the wrong foot, the unusual level of support to him from the UDF and Congress camp gives a political message. But whether it is a lull before a storm, only the months ahead will tell.
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