The Hindu : By-poll: Karunakaran's decision on September 18

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 13, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

By-poll: Karunakaran's decision on September 18

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI SEPT. 12. The `I' group, sore over the selection of a candidate for the Ernakulam by-election, will announce its course of action on September 18. Until then, the Karunakaran loyalists will keep off the electioneering efforts, according to KPCC secretary and `I' group strongman, N. Venugopal, who spoke to mediapersons at K. Karunakaran's home here.

Mr. Karunakaran, who arrived in the city today to coordinate the group's efforts, refused to meet mediapersons.

Mr. Venugopal told The Hindu, there were 1.5-lakh `I' votes in the constituency and in an effort bid to `coordinate' these votes, Mr. Karunakarn was meeting block-level `I' activists from the three Assembly segments of the Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency. He would meet the rest tomorrow.

Mr. Venugopal said there was no change in Mr. Karunkaran's stand. No efforts by the party high command and no mediation would change this. He was sticking to the stand that M.O. John was the Chief Minister's candidate and that he (Mr. Karunakaran) had no responsibility in getting the candidate elected.

Another group strongman, P.C. Chacko, told mediapersons that there was no need for the high command to hold any talks with Mr. Karunakaran on this issue. The `Leader' had made his stand very clear, he said.

UNI adds from Delhi: The Congress will do its best and see that the factions in the party in Kerala are united to ensure success of the official party candidate in the by-election.

Stating this at a press briefing here today, the chief spokesperson of the Congress, S. Jaipal Reddy, said the report of the Congress observers who had gone to Kerala to assess the situation in the run-up to the by-election had been submitted to the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi. However, he said he would not like to make any comments.

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