The Hindu : Kerala News : `I' group boycotts debate on budget

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 08, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

`I' group boycotts debate on budget

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 7 . The MLAs belonging to the Congress `I' group continued their protest against the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy's refusal to consider their demands by boycotting the general debate on the budget in the Assembly today.

The boycott took place amid the MLAs' concern about their inability to participate in the discussions. But they chose to implement the veteran leader K. Karunakaran's order to stay away from the proceedings.

"We have no other alternative but to implement Mr. Karunakaran's wishes," said the MLAs. The Chief Minister's stand on various issues was untenable. Demands such as accommodation in the Devaswom Boards according to the faction's strength had not been conceded, they said.

The MLAs said they did not like the idea of boycotting the proceedings as it deprived them of the opportunity to highlight issues during the budget debate. "If the `I' group were to participate in the debate, then we would have to speak in support of the Government. Considering this, it is better to keep off," a Karunakaran supporter said.

Moreover, the mark of protest was meant to be conveyed to the party high command. Along with other disaffected MLAs, the number of Mr. Chandy's opponents was going up, they said.

The Chief Minister's camp, however, chose to ignore the Karunakaran faction's protest. The Congress Legislature Party office-bearers distributed the time among party members as if the situation was normal. According to the Chief Minister's supporters, the repeated boycotts would soon become stale and expose the faction.

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