Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Karunakaran's house becomes the focus of attention

N.J. Nair

SWEET VICTORY: DIC(K) leader K. Karunakaran offering sweets to Pannian Ravindran at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Photo: S. Mahinsha

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amidst the victory celebrations of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate Pannian Ravindran on Tuesday morning, the house of the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) leader K. Karunakaran at Oolampara was one of the main centres of attention in the city.

With LDF and DIC(K) workers crowded there, the mood was quite different from the one when K. Muraleedharan lost the Wadakkancherry Assembly byelection and Padmaja Venugopal the Mukundapuram Lok Sabha seat.

There was a steady stream of leaders and hardcore activists to the house from early morning. DIC(K) president K. Muraleedharan and Legislature Party leader T.M. Jacob were among the first to arrive.

Once the counting began and the trend was set in favour of Mr. Ravindran, the number of workers began to swell. When Mr. Ravindran secured an unassailable lead, the workers started distributing sweets to the visitors and others.

A group of activists who have always stood by Mr. Karunakaran were venting their ire on the Congress candidate V.S. Sivakumar in hushed tones. "He has lost his face by this defeat; it is the price he had to pay for ditching the leader," said one.

Once the victory of Mr. Ravindan was announced, Mr. Karunakaran came out and addressed a crowded press conference. The workers cheered lustily and shouted slogans in favour of Mr. Karunakaran and Mr. Muraleedharan. They burst crackers and made arrangements to prepare `payasam' to celebrate the victory.

Soon, Mr. Ravindran arrived there with Mangode Radhakrishnan, MLA, and the workers rushed forward and took him on their shoulders. Mr. Ravindran exchanged pleasantries with Mr. Karunkaran, who offered him sweets.

Before leaving, Mr. Ravindran interacted with the workers and tasted the `payasam.'

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