Recent revelations on Solar Scam has trembled the very foundation of adjustment politics that the Left and the Congress had been relishing since long in Kerala. Though CPI(M) and Congress are the pivotal heads in Kerala’s multi-thronged politics, elections were never fought on the merits of their ideology rather it was contested on the strength of the grand alliances that they flaunted.
Two fronts, UDF and LDF, which are administrated by Congress and CPI(M) respectively, had the support of numerous trivial parties which had prominence in key areas of certain constituencies. These minor parties always played a decisive role in decision making within the alliance while they enjoyed the leverage of switching sides from one alliance to the other as per the electoral prospects and convenience, on every assembly election. This floating alliance system has for long, ensured that there were no perennial ideological opponents among the political parties. The adjustment politics has helped either sides to squash or compromise on the major allegations that blinked over their heads from time to time. LDF’s call for an indefinite secretariat siege on 12, August 2013, to force the tainted CM Oommen Chandy to resign from his post following the initial surfacing of Solar Scam allegations, had been called off prematurely by the Left front post 30 hours of agitation. This factually stands as a perfect masterpiece of political match fixing in the state.
With BJP emerging as a prominent force in the state, CPI(M) is more wary of their existence as Hindus had traditionally backed the left front and any upsurge by the BJP will create a dent in their Hindu vote bank. To whack the Congress and convert it to political brownies in contingent of a saffron surge, CPI(M) is sharpening the solar sword to haunt the Congress’s state leadership. Apparently, the state cabinet has decided to file cases of sexual assault and rape against many Congress bigwigs including Oommen Chandy, based on the revelations of the accused, who is herself indicted in 32 cheating cases and convicted in one. She is said to have recorded her testimony before the judicial Commission that Oommen Chandy had abused her at his official residence many a times in the past.
So Oommen Chandy, the Ex-Chief Minister of Kerala becomes the first casuality of the Saffron Surge in Kerala. Things are more difficult to conceal for the partners in crime now. And the Kerala Electorate is more cautious and vocal than ever.
In the past, the founders of the company, Team Solar Renewable Energy Solutions- Saritha Nair and Biju Radhakrishnan, were able to rope in investors by leveraging their connections with top government officials. They hoodwinked the investors by offering to make them partners in their company. The duo was later convicted by the Kerala magistrate court on basis of a complaint raised by one of those gullible investors.
The judicial commission of Justice G Sivarajan, which was put up by the Oommen Chandy Government in 2013 to investigate on the allegations levied, had submitted its report recently.
Invoking the findings on the report, CM Pinarayi Vijayan, had announced that the accused would face charges and further investigation of bribery, sexual assault, and rape will be pursued. Vijayan added that Chandy’s close aides Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan (Former Home minister in Oommen Chandy Government), Aryadan Mohammed (Former minister of Power), Benny Behnan (MLA) and Thampanoor Ravi (MLA) would also be investigated for their alleged roles in aiding prime accused Saritha Nair and Biju Radhakrishnan.
With many heavyweights caught on the dock of serious charges, the future of Congress in the state is very bleak. Internal groupings and dissent had already enfeebled the party and to add insult to the injuries they are caught in the storm of sex & sleaze. This bitter blow is definitely going to cost the Congress party an arm and a leg in the state.
