The Hindu : Kerala News : Stage set for `I' group meet

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 30, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Stage set for `I' group meet

By T. Ramavarman

15,000 activists expected to attend convention

Gearing up for the historic event: A massive pandal erected in Thrissur to host the convention of the `I' group scheduled for Sunday.

THRISSUR: Preparations for the proposed `I' group convention to be held here on Sunday entered the final phase on Friday.

The 40,000 sq.ft. pandal for the convention is nearing completion at the area near to the historic Sakthan Thampuran Palace and the Palace ground. The stage which will provide seats for 200 leaders and pandal which can accommodate nearly 15,000 group activists will be ready by Saturday noon, according to the group leader in the district, V. Balaram, who is also the chairman of the organising committee of the convention.

There will be separate badges for the delegates and volunteers. The badges have already been printed. Other facilities for the delegates like drinking water supply and toilets are also being arranged. The district level group leaders are busy making preparations for the meeting which may witness another round of splits in the party.

Apart from Mr. Balaram, T. V. Chandramohan, MLA, C. N. Govindankutty are in the forefront of the local level preparations. The group's plan is to ensure the participation of five select delegates each from the 1,160-mandalam Congress committees in the State.

In addition, the office-bearers of the three-tier local as well as the members of the DCC, KPCC and AICC , and the office-bearers of the block committees have also been invited to attend the half-day meeting, which will be inaugurated by the group supreme, K. Karunakaran, MP.

Numbers restricted

According to group sources, the selection of the delegates is complete in most of the places. There are pressures from all areas to accommodate more delegates, and now there are is a problem how to restrict the numbers, said Mr. Balaram and Mr. Govindankutty.

The local organisers are making hectic efforts to ensure that Thrissur remains as a citadel of the Karunakaran group, even after the setbacks like the defection of the leaders including the Speaker, Therambil Ramakrishnan, the KPCC treasurer, C. N. Balakrishnan, and the DCC president, Bhaskaran Nair, earlier, and now that of the MLAs like P. P. George and Savithri Lakshmanan. There are reports that T. U. Radhakrishnan, MLA has also expressed reservation about forming a new party.

Mr Balaram said as per the present schedule the new party will be announced after the speeches by K. Karunakaran and K. Muraleedharan and the approval of the political and economic resolutions. The president of the new party is also likely to be elected at the convention. The new president will then be authorised to appoint other office-bearers. Mr. Karunakaran and Mr. Muraleedharan are expected to arrive here on Saturday afternoon, for giving the final shape to convention preparations.

Restraining order

Meanwhile, the vacation judge of the Thrissur sessions court, Sunil Thomas, has issued a provisional order restraining Mr. Muraleedharan from using the name of Indian National Congress, or Congress or using its flag. The judge issued this provisional order while considering a petition filed by the Nattika Block Congress Committee secretary, E. B. Unnikrishnan, who sought a direction from the court restraining the use of the name of Indian National Congress, or Congress or using the flag by Mr. Muraleedharan who has been expelled from the Congress.

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