Congress in Kerala squirms as Sudheeran criticises own government

Thiruvanthapuram, March 17:  Congress’s Kerala unit president V.M. Sudheeran has attacked the state government for an order that allows acceptance of land tax from a private company at a time when the estate in question is embroiled in a legal dispute. The order allowing acceptance of tax from Karu Estate for an 833-acre estate in Palakkad district whose ownership is disputed would be perceived as corrupt and would affect the party’s prospects in the assembly elections this year, Sudheeran said at a meeting of the top leadership of the party on Wednesday. Sudheeran’s criticism of his own party, which leads the United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala, has exposed the fissures within the party ahead of assembly elections on May 16. While Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash, whose department is concerned with the issue, has defended himself, some ministers of the Congress as well as those belonging to other constituents of UDF told Chief Minister Oommen Chandy that Sudheeran seemed to be behaving like an opposition leader. Since being appointed as president of Kerala unit of Congress by party Vice President Rahul Gandhi two years ago, Sudheeran has been taking tough positions against his own government on many issues, riling, in particular, Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala — both of whom represent the factions opposed to him.  (IANS)