The Hindu : Front Page : Moily rules out Karunakaran's return

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Friday, Feb 10, 2006

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Front Page

Moily rules out Karunakaran's return

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress Working Committee member Veerappa Moily has ruled out any question of seeking the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) leader K. Karunakaran's return to the party as he is negotiating with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) for a slot in the Opposition alliance.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Mr. Moily, who holds charge of Kerala, said that it was not possible for him to initiate any move to bring back Mr. Karunakaran, as he was "very much on the other side." Mr. Moily said the Congress had faced some difficulties soon after the split, but these were transitional and the party had overcome them since then.

The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) is going through the process of rebuilding the party and its cadre. "The legacy of the Congress is being reaffirmed," he said. Asked why his party had been unable to remove the general apprehension that it was moving towards a tacit alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr. Moily said the Congress had always fought against the BJP. It was well known that the LDF won the Thiruvananthapuram byelection with the support of the BJP. He said the Congress was working out the "logistics" of countering the campaign.

Mr. Moily said the Government decision on Backward Class job reservation had brought about a balance in the social equations that would be beneficial to the Congress and the United Democratic Front (UDF). Congratulating Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala and the UDF leadership for the amicable settlement of the reservation issue, Mr. Moily said the decision had succeeded in neutralising the anti-incumbency factor.

Mr. Chennithala, who also spoke, alleged that the LDF was following a Janus-faced policy on issues relating to the State's development. It was opposed to Asian Development Bank loan, but the urban local bodies it ruled have come forward to accept it. There are several other areas where this could be seen. He sought the opinion of the LDF partners on the CPI(M) policies.

He alleged that the CPI(M) was playing up the Iran issue as a diversionary tactic. It does not want a debate on the development agenda put forward by the UDF and the Government it heads. There is no rationale in the CPI(M)'s stand on this sensitive and emotional issue. Mr. Chennithala announced a minor change in Congress president Sonia Gandhi's schedule for the full session of the KPCC in Kochi next month. Mrs. Gandhi, he said, will deliver her address on March 4 instead of the earlier date of March 3. She will be in Kochi for two days. The KPCC's full session will begin on March 2 and conclude on March 7.

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