The Hindu : Anti-Karunakaran forces to wait and watch

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 29, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Anti-Karunakaran forces to wait and watch

By Girish Menon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM April 28. The anti-Karunakaran forces in the Congress party have adopted a wait and watch policy after initially having gone hammer and tongs at the veteran leader, K. Karunakaran and the KPCC president, K. Muraleedharan.

The AICC general secretary, Ambika Soni's direction asking Mr. Muraleedharan to be in Delhi tomorrow has created considerable scope for speculation in the State capital.

Mr. Muraleedharan was asked to be in Delhi today itself, but he could not make it because all flights had left from the major airports. Mr. Muraleedharan is expected to go into a session with Mrs. Soni, the AICC observers, Ghulam Nabi Azad and R. K. Dhawan in the morning, followed by a meeting with the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, late in the evening.

The third group, led by Ramesh Chennithala, had been making all attempts to corner the KPCC president, ever since the Rajya Sabha elections. The group has been in the forefront demanding stern action against Mr. Muraleedharan for his `behind the screen' activities encouraging the Karunakaran MLAs to vote for the rebel candidate, while officially writing to the MLAs as per the high command's directives to vote for the official candidates.

The third group's strategy has been to create some elbow room in the party's State unit by working towards weakening the Karunakaran faction. The faction has not been able to make a big breakthrough all these years, though it has been able to wrest accommodation in the party and Government sweepstakes.

The third group leaders are optimistic about some kind of action against Mr. Muraleedharan, who, according to them, is answerable for the presence of the rebel candidate in the fray and his indifference in sorting out issues. ``The kind of indiscipline displayed cannot be ignored by the high command as it is bound to have its impact on other States as well,'' according to the third group leaders.

The fact remains that the high command has kept all factions guessing about the action it has in mind. But going by the AICC's current `go slow' attitude, it is presumed that the party would not announce any major action against Mr. Karunakaran. It might also let off Mr. Muraleedharan because any action, be it removal as KPCC president or his elevation in the party hierarchy, would be construed as an action against Mr. Karunakaran.

A spokesman of the Karunakaran group made it clear that Mr. Karunakaran would not accept any decision which involves shifting Mr. Muraleedharan. ``Mr Muraleedharan was appointed KPCC president as part of a package. As per this package, Mr. Muraleedharan was sworn as president while Mr. Antony took over as Chief Minister. If at all any shift is to take place, the two leaders should switch their positions as per the package,'' the spokesman said.

Another point the spokesman stressed was that the AICC general secretary, Vayalar Ravi, and the AICC secretary, Ramesh Chennithala, had openly come out against Mr. Muraleedharan, but they had not formally placed a demand for his ouster before the High Command. The anti-Karunakaran factions were trying to tarnish Mr. Muraleedharan's image as a mature leader, he said and added that the Karunakaran group has called district level factional meetings.

In the meantime, Mr. Muraleedharan told a private television channel that he had been called to Delhi to discuss the current paralysis in the party and Government functioning.

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