TRIVANDRUM, 5 November 2003 — Kerala Chief Minister A.K. Antony is veering around the idea of convening the state legislative assembly and seeking the confidence of the house in view of the open challenge by the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the detractors within his Congress party led by senior leader K. Karunakaran.
Antony’s close confidant and convener of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) Oommen Chandy yesterday admitted that there was an increasing demand from the allies for moving a confidence motion and decide the government’s majority.
“But first the chief minister should take a decision, then ensure support of the coalition partners and approach the party president (Sonia Gandhi) for the final nod,” Chandy told reporters here yesterday. “There is a strong feeling among us that a confidence vote will end the present stalemate as Antony has a majority in the house”.
He said the question of a leadership change in the state did not arise as the chief minister enjoyed a two-thirds majority in the house. The UDF constituents, who are worried about the fallout of the bitter factional feud within the Congress, are meeting on Friday to chalk out their strategy.
Indian Union Muslim League leaders had asked Sonia Gandhi to find a solution to the crisis in her party at the earliest when she discussed the Kerala crisis with them over telephone on Monday,.
Leaders of the coalition partners are likely to meet Gandhi with the same demand next week. Though Gandhi is too preoccupied with the elections to the five state assemblies, the coalition partners believe that any delay would result in the collapse of the three decades old UDF as Karunakaran is hell bent on Antony’s removal at any cost.
Both the Karunakaran and Antony camps are claiming the support of the allies who are yet to take an open stand on the issue of leadership change.
Most of the allies are keen to find a solution within the UDF without going for an alternative government supported by the LDF from outside. Health Minister P. Shankaran, who received a show-cause notice from the party high command recently for criticizing the chief minister, claimed that there was no change in the stand of the allies and they are still with Karunakaran.
