High pressure but no deal on cabinet expansion, Oommen Chandy returns from New Delhi
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is returning from New Delhi on Tuesday morning without clinching a deal with the Congress high command on cabinet expansion.
Though Chandy and PCC chief Ramesh Chennithala did not have a joint sitting in New Delhi, they met Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel and AICC general secretary in charge of the state Mukul Wasnik separately. A peeved Chennithala is firm on his decision against joining the UDF government leaving the stalemate unresolved.
However, Patel and Wasnik informed Chennithala of Chandy’s decision which has not been accepted by him. ‘I’ group sources told DC that Chennithala is firm on his decision not to join the government. But Chennithala told reporters waiting outside his home that discussions were not yet over.
“I met AICC representatives and discussed organizational matters with them. Mainly the discussion was on Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s upcoming visit to Kerala in September.
Discussions on Cabinet expansion are still going on which are yet to be completed. So far, I have not changed my stand on joining the Cabinet. My return trip to Kerala will be finalised on Tuesday,” he said.
Chandy’s trusted lieutenant Benny Behanan, who is also in New Delhi, told DC that the CM is willing to abide by the high command’s decision.
“The CM has always been saying about bringing in Chennithala into the cabinet. All depends on what would transpire at the meeting between Chennithala and the AICC leaders,” he told DC.
With talks failing, Chandy and Chennithala are unlikely to meet before the former returns to Kerala. Congress sources reveal that Chennithala will join only if he is given the Home portfolio with deputy chief ministership about which the ‘A’ group has been dilly-dallying for a while.
Contrary to Chandy’s comments in Kochi before leaving for New Delhi on Sunday that he will return with good news, a final decision is still a long way off with the crisis still on.
It is still uncertain whether any decision will be taken on Tuesday in New Delhi as the Congress Working Committee and the UPA coordination committee are meeting on the Telengana issue. Gandhi was not keen to meet the two ‘warring’ leaders without reaching a consensus.
But Chandy told reporters in New Delhi that he will come back again soon and settle the issue. There have been unconfirmed reports that Chandy might return to New Delhi again on Tuesday evening after attending the MPs’ meet here.
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