The Hindu : Murali quits as KPCC chief, to join Cabinet

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 01, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Murali quits as KPCC chief, to join Cabinet

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 31 . The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president, K. Muraleedharan, has tendered his resignation from the post and would soon be inducted into the Cabinet of the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony.

An announcement to this effect was made by the AICC spokesperson, Anand Sharma, here today. He said Mr. Muraleedharan had tendered his resignation as the PCC chief, which was accepted by the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi.

Mr. Muraleedharan has been asked to continue to hold charge as the PCC president till an alternative arrangement was made and a new State unit chief appointed, Mr. Sharma said.

The AICC also said that Mr. Antony had proposed to expand his Cabinet and induct Mr. Muraleedharan as a Cabinet Minister.

"This decision has the support of the Congress president,'' he said.

It remains to be seen whether the move to induct Mr. Muraleedharan into Mr. Antony's Council of Ministers would lead to resolution of the problem with the Karunakaran faction in the State party unit.

Asked which portfolio would be given to the new Minister, the spokesperson said the subject of allocation of work was the prerogative of the Chief Minister.

During the efforts to work out a rapprochement with the Karunakaran faction, the Congress leadership had turned down the demand for a key portfolio such as Home or Finance.

It is now understood that the issue has been left to the Chief Minister to decide.

Responding to a question whether the act of accommodating Mr. Muraleedharan, whose role during the Rajya Sabha election and the Ernakulam Lok Sabha bypoll had come in for criticism, was a "promotion," Mr. Sharma said the Congress central leadership was expected to act in the interests of the party and strengthen the United Democratic Front (UDF) Government. Interestingly, there was resistance from within the UDF on the move to induct the PCC chief into the Cabinet as part of the formula to end the crisis.

Mr. Sharma reiterated that when Mr. Karunakaran had announced his intention to form a separate party, the PCC chief had emphasised that he was with the Congress central leadership and would abide by any decision taken to resolve the problem.

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