The Hindu : Kerala News : DIC(K) to pursue a policy of equidistance from fronts

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 07, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

DIC(K) to pursue a policy of equidistance from fronts

Staff Reporter

No question of merging with other parties, says Murali

PATHANAMTHITTA: The Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) has decided to follow an equidistance policy towards the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), according to party president K. Muraleedharan.

Briefing presspersons on the resolutions adopted at a two-day DIC(K) State camp at Charalkunnu on Sunday, Mr. Muraleedharan said the party would keep its political options open and would join hands with parties with a democratic, secular and progressive outlook.

Mr. Muraleedharan said the DIC(K) would keep its independent identity adding that there was no question of the party merging with any other party.

Mr. Muraleedharan said there was no rift in the DIC(K).

Rumours of T.M. Jacob and others quitting the party were baseless.

Mr Jacob was the one who made the reply speech at a debate on the party's political resolution on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Jacob himself had told the delegates that Johnny Nellore had to leave the camp on Saturday evening following the death of a close relative, he added.

Mr. Muraleedharan said the DIC(K) camp had decided to undertake the responsibility of a creative Opposition and fight for the cause of the common man and the development of the State.

He said the DIC(K) would join hands with like-minded parties on the election front in future in the larger interests of the State.

Leadership meet

Addressing the delegates, the senior leader K. Karunakaran said the party would take a decision on its future course of action at a leadership meet to be held in Ernakulam on November 19.

Participating in the debate on the political resolution in the forenoon, many delegates criticised the party leadership's decision to join hands with the Congress and the UDF in the Assembly elections.

Leaves party

Our Kollam Staff Reporter adds:

Mangat Rajendran, one of the 13 central committee members of the Democratic Indira Congress-Karunakaran (DIC-K), said that he was stepping down from the party.

Mr. Rajendran told The Hindu that he was dejected with the manner in which party president K. Muraleedharan was handling its affairs.

As a result, it was unable to maintain even the decorum of a political party.

Mistakes were being repeated. The party was not even prepared to correct itself in spite of realising that mistakes had been committed. Mr. Muraleedharan's ideas are retrograde and largely selfish, he added.

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