Thiruvananthapuram: Three allies of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) on Saturday expressed their displeasure over the way the dominant party is going ahead in Kerala.
The allies who appear miffed include the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress (Mani) and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP).
The RSP, which has three legislators, is discontented after its request for the vacant deputy speaker's post has not materialised.
"This post was supposed to be given to us, but at the last minute the Congress party, which is a big one appears to be caught in a dilemma. We will raise this demand in the UDF meeting," said RSP state secretary and senior legislator AA Azeez.
Three-time RSP legislator and the party nominee for the deputy speaker post, Kovoor Kunjumon said that it is most unfortunate that it is lying vacant for so long and yet no action has been taken.
"A thing such as this has never happened before," said Kunjumon.
The deputy speaker post has been lying vacant after Congress' N Sakthan was elected as the speaker following the death of speaker G Karthikeyan in March.
Public Works Department Minister VK Ebrahim Kunju, belonging to IUML and State Water Resources Minister PJ Joseph of the Kerala Congress (Mani) approached Chief Minister Oommen Chandy with a grouse that Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala was using his police and vigilance departments to interfere in their departments.
They are upset after a few senior officials were recently suspended following a vigilance probe, which spotted errors in their functioning.
"Even though I have not made any complaints against Chennithala, I have informed the chief minister that there were certain lapses and procedural errors in the manner in which my department officials were suspended," said Kunju to the media here on Saturday.
With the present assembly session to get over on Thursday and with the assembly having a tenure of less than eight months, there would be a maximum of two sessions -- one this year and one ahead of the assembly polls next year, the RSP is aggrieved that the Congress is not respecting their genuine demand.
There has been a general impression among the UDF allies after the recent Aruvikara by-election victory that the UDF has a good chance of retaining power, this appears to have got into the heads of the Congress leadership.
