Monday, May 02, 2005
Monday, May 02, 2005 |
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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Saying the action of the senior Congress leader K. Karunakaran in floating a new party was "expected," the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, Thennala Balakrishna Pillai, MP, said there would not be a "vertical" split in the State unit of the party. "Some people might have gone from the Congress to the new party. At any cost, it would not affect the party in Kerala," Mr. Pillai, who is here in connection with the ongoing Rajya Sabha session, said. "Things have gone on the expected lines. Mr. Karunakaran has been saying that he would launch a new party for the past few weeks." Asked if there would be a vertical split in the Kerala unit in the light of Mr. Karunakaran's exit, he said, "it cannot be so. Some people may be going with the new party." Mr. Pillai, who had been the focus of attack by Mr. Karunakaran and his supporters because of his close association with the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, said the developments in the Congress would not affect the party's prospects in the Assembly elections due in May next year. "The people of the State do not support any individual in elections. Their support is always for the Congress. They will continue to support the Congress," he said.
No threat to party: AICC
Terming as `unfortunate' the floating of a new party by Mr. Karunakaran, the All India Congress Committee said the developments in the State unit of the Congress would not affect the party's prospects in the Assembly elections. "At least there will be unity in the Kerala unit. The party workers will be united. There will not be any internal sabotage. That is the biggest benefit that the Kerala unit will get now," a top AICC functionary, who did not wish to named, said. "That is precisely our judgment," he said, pointing out to the `heavy bargaining' that Mr. Karunakaran had been making in the past few years. He said the party and its coalition partners in the ruling United Democratic Front in Kerala would face the electorate united next year. "Mr. Karunakaran and his son, K. Muraleedharan, were damaging the party. At least from now, there will not be any damage and sabotage from within." — PTI, UNI
Chandy keeps mum
Staff Reporter adds from Kochi: The Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, maintained a studied silence on the split. Mr. Chandy, who has been the target of the `I' group which floated the new outfit, attended the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Cochin Port Staff Association on arrival here on Sunday morning after the conclusion of his visit to the Gulf. Mr. Chandy made no mention of Mr. Karunakaran or the split caused by him in the party. After the function, when presspersons asked him about the `I' faction floating the new party, Mr. Chandy declined to react, saying "I will speak only about the development agenda of the State."
Unfortunate: Antony
The former Chief Minister A.K. Antony termed "unfortunate" the split in the Congress and the naming of the new outfit after Indira Gandhi who had taken the initiative to reunite the organisation after the 1978 split. "It is unfortunate. Those who split the party should not have named the new outfit after Indira Gandhi as it was the late leader who reunited the Congress in Kerala after the 1978 split," he told presspersons in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. The Congress Working Committee member, who made an abortive attempt to solve the crisis, held that those who caused the split would soon realise that they had committed a great mistake.
Painful: Chennithala
The Congress Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala said the exit of Mr. Karunakaran from the party was "painful." Talking to presspersons here, he said by floating a new party, Mr. Karunakaran had yielded to pressure from his son. The formation of the new party will not create any impact in the Kerala unit of the Congress, he claimed. Mr. Chennithala said the Congress had faced such situations in the past and emerged stronger. He called upon Congress workers to go ahead with more vigour to strengthen the party.
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