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AICC to discuss impasse after elections

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI NOV. 8. Even as allies in the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala today sought the Congress high command's "immediate intervention" to resolve the ongoing impasse in the State owing to infighting within the party, the AICC leadership today made it clear that all issues leading to the crisis would be discussed after the coming Assembly elections.

Briefing mediapersons outside 10 Janpath after the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) general secretary, E. Ahmed, met the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, here this evening, the AICC in-charge of the State, Ahmed Patel, said that "we will discuss all issues after the elections'' even as he maintained that there was no thinking within the party on leadership change. According to Mr. Patel, the IUML leader had assured the Congress on behalf of the allies in the UDF that they would do everything to help strengthen the coalition.

For his part, Mr. Ahmed said the UDF continued to enjoy a majority and the issue that needs to be addressed immediately was the uncertainty prevailing in Kerala, both within the Government and in the coalition.

While refusing to comment on whether there were differences between the Congress and the allies over the timing of action, Mr. Ahmed said the Congress had been maintaining from the very beginning that the issues facing the party within the State would be resolved only after the elections. "We want an early resolution as governance has come to a standstill because of the prolonged political uncertainty,'' he said.

About leadership change, the IUML leader said,"it was the Congress prerogative''. Stating that he had been given to understand that the Congress was open to discussing all issues, Mr. Ahmed said that first, the party would have to bring its warring leaders together and make them accept its decision to wait till the Assembly elections for resolving the issue.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister, A. K. Antony, welcomed the allies' decision not to go in for a motion of confidence, maintaining that it was bound to frustrate the CPI(M)'s desire to split the Congress. Training his guns on the Marxists, he said what the CPI(M) was trying to do in Kerala was an example of "democratic opportunism." Through the day, a series of meetings were held at various levels with the Chief Minister meeting senior Congress leaders, Arjun Singh and Pranab Mukherjee.

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