The Hindu : Karunakaran group closes ranks to prevent split

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 03, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Karunakaran group closes ranks to prevent split

By Girish Menon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 2. The `I' group today virtually closed ranks to prevent a division among themselves over their support to the veteran leader, K. Karunakaran, and his son, K. Muraleedharan.

Alarmed by the widening rift between the father and the son over their positions regarding forming a separate party and accepting a Cabinet berth, the `I' group leaders, at their meeting held at Mr. Karunakaran's residence, made a fervent plea for a strategy which would not lead to weakening the faction in the current tussle in the party.

The faction leaders conceded that the differences between Mr. Karunakaran and Mr. Muraleedharan had created confusion and would weaken their position if it were to continue any further.

Some of the leaders said that they were prepared to accept any decision Mr. Karunakaran might take, including splitting the party, but felt that in the current crisis, the differences would reduce the political leverage Mr. Karunakaran had.

Speaking to mediapersons, the Karunakaran faction spokesman, Rajmohan Unnithan, denied the charge that the contradictory positions of Mr. Muraleedharan and Mr. Karunakaran had created confusion among the supporters.

In reply to a question, he said that Mr. Muraleedharan was still a part of the `I' group. However, the meeting did not discuss the question of his accepting a berth in the Antony Cabinet.

A senior Karunakaran faction leader admitted that Mr. Muraleedharan's position had weakened Mr. Karunakaran's cause. Mr. Muraleedharan's decision to accept a Cabinet berth was taken unilaterally.

However, it would be difficult for him to move any step further.

The fact that Mr. Muraleedharan's induction into the Cabinet is conditional clearly shows that the AICC and Mr. Antony are fully aware that the unity in the party cannot be restored with Mr. Karunakaran's acceptance, he said. The meeting was attended by 14 of the 19 MLAs, with five of them informing Mr. Karunakaran their inability to attend owing to other preoccupation. Mr. Karunakaran, who left for New Delhi today to attend the last session of the current Lok Sabha, indicated that he would not take any initiative to reopen dialogues, but was not averse to discussions if they were to be resumed by the AICC leaders.

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