The Hindu : Temporary truce in Congress likely

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 20, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Temporary truce in Congress likely

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 19. The veteran Congress leader, K. Karunakaran, today indicated his willingness to keep on hold the demand for the ouster of the Kerala Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, till the Lok Sabha elections. He now appears to be bargaining for a Cabinet reshuffle to accommodate one of his ownmen, possibly his son, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, K. Muraleedharan, in either the Home or the Finance Ministry.

Though Mr. Antony has publicly expressed his willingness to make any compromise to keep the party united in the State, he is said to have told the Congress central leadership that the Home, Finance and Excise Ministries are non-negotiable. While he holds Home, the other two portfolios are with his key group leader, K. Sankaranarayanan.

Mr. Karunakaran's contention is that the handling of both Home and Finance by the current dispensation had been disastrous and a change was needed. This appears to be a point of contention now as Pranab Mukherjee, senior leader and head of the three-member sub-committee addressing the Kerala crisis, said discussions would continue after an hour-and-a-half-long meeting with Mr. Karunkaran at his residence here this morning.

``We had a prolonged discussion, talks are continuing and we may have to discuss further. We may have to meet again,'' Mr. Mukherjee told mediapersons outside Mr. Karunakaran's residence. Prior to the formal meeting with the sub-committee, the octogenarian Congressman first had a one-to-one meeting with Mr. Mukherjee before the other members, the AICC general secretary, R.K. Dhawan, and the AICC general secretary in-charge of Kerala affairs, Ahmed Patel, joined them. While there were indications that all contentious issues had more or less been ironed out, a formal announcement will be made only after the veteran Congressman's long-awaited meeting with the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, which will take place after her return from Jammu and Kashmir.

As to what transpired at today's meeting with the sub-committee, Mr. Karunakaran said he reiterated his stated position that the only solution to the crisis was a leadership change. While denying that any compromise formula had been suggested to him, he said there was a talk of retaining Mr. Antony as Chief Minister till the elections while handing over the Home and Finance portfolios to others.

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