The Hindu : Karunakaran refuses to budge

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

Kerala

Kerala

Karunakaran refuses to budge

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JAN. 31 . The veteran Congress leader, K. Karunakaran, continued to maintain his belligerent position while reacting to the settlement formula involving the induction of his son and KPCC president, K. Muraleedharan, into the Antony Cabinet. Mr. Karunakaran has refused to give in to pressure from both coalition partners and his son, Mr. Muraleedharan.

In an interview to a private channel, Mr. Karunakaran went one step further in demanding Mr. Antony's resignation, as the KPCC president has now given up his post. Mr. Karunakaran's demand has surprised all factions of the Congress which were hoping that he wound come around to accepting the settlement formula.

Mr. Karunakaran has been demanding a fair accommodation for his faction including one of the prime portfolios for his son. According to informed sources in the Congress, Mr. Antony is likely to meet Mr. Karunakaran soon as part of his attempt to pacify the veteran leader and restore peace in the party.

Let CM decide: Murali

Our Staff Reporter adds from Kozhikode:

The KPCC president, while talking to reporters in Kalpetta, today said that it was up to the high command to decide on whether or not to grant a Cabinet berth for him. He also said that a decision on the issue of portfolio, in case a Ministerial post was offered, would be taken by the Chief Minister.

After attending the K. Raghavan Master Remembrance Meet in Sultan Bathery in Wayanad district, he said the offer of Minister's post and his offer to step down from the post of KPCC president was based on a `formula' evolved during the talks in New Delhi. However, this formula had not been made public, he said.

Responding to a query, he said reports indicating that the `I' group was adamant on getting the Home or Finance portfolio and that it was the reason why the group was averse to a compromise, were `not correct'.

Asked what would happen if Mr. Karunakaran left the party, he reiterated that he would remain loyal to the Congress led by Sonia Gandhi.

He said that there was a move towards `a compromise' in the party in view of the coming Lok Sabha elections. ``Any split in the party at a time when the Congress was forging a secular coalition at the all India-level will only benefit the NDA and the BJP,'' he added.

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