The Hindu : Kerala News : Gangadharan removed as CLP deputy leader

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 17, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Gangadharan removed as CLP deputy leader

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 16. In a move reflecting the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's assertive positions on party affairs, the Congress Legislature Party tonight decided to remove M. P. Gangadharan from his post of deputy leader. The decision has come as a punishment for participating in the March 12 rally organised by the Karunakaran faction.

The CLP secretary, K. C. Joseph, announced the decision soon after the CLP meeting. The Congress Working Committee member, A. K. Antony and some of the MLAs who maintain close ties with him such as T. N. Prathapan and G. Karthikeyan were conspicuous by their absence.

Mr. Joseph said that the decision to remove Mr. Gangadharan was taken according to rule 25 of the CLP rules of procedures that stipulates that an office-bearer can be removed by two-thirds of the fifty per cent of the members present and voting.

The CLP deferred a decision on electing Mr. Gangadharan's successor mainly on account of the need to observe procedure in terms of issuing notice for it. According to reliable sources, Mr. Kadavoor Sivadasan, who was till recently in the Karunakaran camp, would be made the CLP deputy leader.

Voice of dissent

In today's meeting, 36 MLAs participated and the motion was moved with hardly any opposition, except for Pratapavarma Thampan's lone voice of dissent. The meeting started with the Chief Minister's brief on the notice he had served on Mr. Gangadharan and his reply. Terming the reply as unsatisfactory, Mr. Chandy wanted the meeting to consider removing Mr. Gangadharan from his post.

Mr. Thampan wanted a reconsideration of the disciplinary action against Mr. Gangadharan in view of the reconciliation attempts now on and on grounds that high command action against him was imminent. The MLAs owing allegiance to Mr. Karunakaran boycotted the meeting. The CLP could not inform K. Sudhakaran about the meeting as he was away in Bangalore, while Mercy Ravi, Prayar Gopalakrishnan and T. H. Mustapha had expressed their inability to attend the meeting because of indisposition. The three MLAs had expressed their solidarity with any decisions the CLP chose to make, sources said.

Antony's plea

Mr. Antony, who returned from Delhi today, had earlier appealed to the party MLAs to refrain from any hasty action that might preclude the possibilities of rapprochement. For the first time in his political career, Mr. Antony chose to attend a family function overlooking an important party meeting.

The official leadership preferred to take a different view about the whole issue. According to sources, MLAs close to Mr. Antony preferred to stay away if only to prevent a division in ranks that could give a different dimension to the current tussle. The sources said though most of them were for action against those who violated party discipline, they did not want to weaken Mr. Antony's advocacy for peace in the party.

The Chief Minister is clearly on the offensive, gathering strength from the messages from Delhi. According to party sources, the High Command will have no option but to seriously consider the KPCC president, Thennala Balakrishna Pillai's report that has recommended strong action against Mr. Gangadharan and the Thiruvananthapuram DCC president, Peethambara Kurup.

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