The Hindu : Kerala News : Karunakaran eyeing personal gains: Chacko

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Thursday, Mar 03, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Karunakaran eyeing personal gains: Chacko

By A Correspondent

NEDUMBASSERY, MARCH 2. Congress leader P. C. Chacko today said that the war being waged by K. Karunakaran in the State unit of the Congress was not for `I' faction but for his personal gains and that the party high command was no longer prepared to adopt a lenient view on the issue.

Talking to reporters at the Nedumbassery airport, he said that his talks with Ahmed Patel, the AICC general secretary in-charge of Kerala, indicated that the party high command was giving a long rope to Mr. Karunakaran considering the fact that he was the senior-most leader of the party.

However, if Mr. Karunakaran were to take undue advantage of this, the party high command would go ahead with strong disciplinary actions very soon. He said that even if Mr. Karunakaran were to be left alone, firm action would be taken against former KPCC president K. Muraleedharan.

Political bargaining

Everyone associated with the faction know that Mr. Karunakaran is engaged in political bargaining for himself and his family. `I' faction workers did not mind if Mr. Karunakaran benefited from this.

However, majority of them did not want to take the extreme step of quitting the party as propounded by Mr. Karunakaran and his son. In the event of high command taking a stern step, Mr. Karunakaran should not expect `I' faction supporters to share the consequences.

Mr. Chacko said that he was keeping in touch with the `I' faction followers in every district. Everyone is waiting for the decision of the party high command.

It has to be seen how much support Mr. Karunakaran would be left with once the high command comes out with a firm decision, he said.

According to Mr. Chacko the rallies being organised under the initiative of Mr. Karunakaran and his son, defying the State and Central leadership of the party would prove to be damp squibs.

He said that criticism raised by Mr. Karunakaran against the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, for not holding organisational elections was meaningless.

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