The political fizz about the possibility of another headline-grabbing defection from the Congress seemed to gain some traction on Monday with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] transmitting an unequivocal declaration of solidarity with embattled Congress leader Aryadan Shoukath on the very day he appeared before a party disciplinary committee to answer the charge of “mutinous political activity”.
The committee headed by Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, MLA, sought Mr. Shoukath’s explanation for holding a pro-Palestine rally in Malappuram, violating the party’s diktat.
Mr. Shouakath appeared to scotch the CPI(M)-initiated speculation about a possible fallout with his party. He told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that his commitment to Palestine remained unshaken, and his loyalty lay with the Congress.
Mr. Radhakrshnan added the committee would not jump the gun to anyone’s satisfaction and merely sought more clarity.
Both leaders seemed wary that the CPI(M) had exploited the Palestine issue for one-upmanship and political poaching.
For one, CPI(M) central committee member A.K. Balan reached out to Mr. Shoukath and his loyalists in Malappuram, terming them a robust secular presence in the Congress.
“Congress dare not touch Mr. Shoukath. The party would shatter like glass bangles. Any punishment for organising a pro-Palestine rally would put the Congress on the same page with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The LDF would go the extra mile to ensure Mr. Shoukath’s secular position remained unassailable. The CPI(M) and LDF would promote his cause at all costs,” Mr. Balan said.
Mr. Balan’s statement dovetailed with the CPI(M)‘s purported gambit to isolate Congress in the UDF over the Palestine issue and erode the party’s political standing among minorities, especially in North Kerala.
The Congress moved quickly to counter the CPI(M)‘s gambit. It saw a decisive troubleshooter in the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which is, of late, increasingly critical of the CPI(M)‘s attempts to weaken the Congress lest it advantage the BJP. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan was likely to meet IUML State president Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal on Tuesday.
