NEW DELHI: The fifth ministerial post that is haunting the UDF took a new turn on Monday with IUML leader and MoS for HRD E Ahmed meeting Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. It is understood that the Congress president has reiterated her position to the Congress state leadership “to be cautious of not upsetting the sentiments of any community in the state” which in effect means that the IUML getting the fifth ministerial post is very unlikely.After the meeting, Ahmed said that the meeting was very cordial. “The IUML will not have to be disappointed,” he said.“Further discussions will take place in Thiruvanthapuram,” he added.It is learnt that the Congress president conveyed to Ahmed the KPCC’s position that one more ministerial berth to IUML will upset the communal balance of the UDF.“The leadership has also understood that a balancing act is very crucial in the backdrop of the coming by election in Neyyatinkara,” said a Congress leader in Delhi. Sources close to Ahmed rubbished media reports that the Congress high command threatened the IUML with removing Ahmed from the MoS post.The sources said the high command may depute Gulam Nabi Azad to meet IUML supremo Panakkad Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal to convince him of the “predicament” that the Congress and the UDF are facing. KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala is arriving here on Monday nigh to meet SoniaGandhi. According to sources close to Chennithala, he will not say ‘no’ if the high command asks him to take up the Deputy Chief Minister’s post inorder to balance the communal equations within the UDF.“It is a fact that he is not keen on taking up the post. But if the high commandasks him to take it up for the sake of UDF, he has no option. “But then he should get the Home Department at least,” they said.
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