After 10 years and 10 long days, Congress has its Chief Minister in Kerala. The state’s Congressmen were seasoned enough to handle the 10 years without power. The ten-day wait took its toll. After an overwhelming poll win, three chief ministerial contenders emerged, and their three-cornered contest made the electoral battle look tame.

Few state units of the Grand Old Party have handled inner-party conflicts as well as Kerala’s. The Congress here has a history of groups that coexist, bicker, squabble, fight, negotiate, and manage conflicts. The loser always finds the political space to wait for another day. This time, unusually, the battling leaders did not seem to have a fallback position. The CM race looked like an all-out war.

Congress watchers framed this newfound aggression in familiar terms, such as greed for power and personal ambition, aggravated by the party’s serial electoral misfortunes nationwide. Media watchers added that the battle........

© Indian Express