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High command to decide list: Antony

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 30 . The Kerala Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, today met the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, to sort out the issue of finalisation of party candidates from the State.

Mr. Antony and the KPCC acting president, P.P. Thankachan, who were asked by the party central leadership to reach here for discussions, met Ms. Sonia Gandhi this evening.

The Chief Minister later told presspersons that they had placed their views before the central leadership, which had also sought clarifications on certain issues. Mr. Antony also said it was for the party high command to take a final view and declare the list of candidates.

Although there was no word officially, party sources said the central leadership was attempting to sort out the problems on choice of candidates for Kozhikode and Mukundapuram in the wake of some protests.

The Kozhikode District Congress Committee had expressed strong displeasure over the proposal to field V. Balram, who had vacated the Wadakkancherry Assembly seat for the Electricity Minister, K. Muraleedharan. In Mukundapuram, the party plans to field Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of the senior leader, K. Karunakaran.

PTI adds: ``The high command will announce the candidates list for Kerala tomorrow,'' Mr. Thankachan told reporters here this evening.

Both the leaders replied in the negative when asked whether there was any shift in their stance on the candidates agreed upon by Mr. Antony and the senior Congress leader, K. Karunakaran.

``I don't think there is any change of circumstance to warrant such a shift in opinion,'' Mr. Antony said with Mr. Thankachan backing him saying that it would be ``improper'' to do so. When pointed out that many candidates had already started campaigning in the State, Mr. Thankachan said ``they are doing it at their own risk.''

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