Kozhikode: Veteran leader K. Karunakaran, who merged his DIC(K) with Sharad Pawar's NCP recently, will campaign for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate in the December 4 bypoll to Thiruvambadi Assembly constituency, NCP general secretary T.P. Peethambaran has said.

``Karunakaran and (his son) Muraleedharan will campaign on behalf of our party,'' he said while briefing reporters on the NCP's State leadership meet here on Wednesday.

The CPI(M) did not say that it would not permit Karunakaran to campaign for its nominee during the bypoll, he said when asked about Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan's remarks in Delhi on Tuesday that Mr. Karunakaran would not be accepted as part of the LDF.

``Achuthanandan had only stated his party's earlier decision (when Mr. Karunakaran was heading the DIC-K),'' Peethambaran said, adding no individual party in the front could decide on who should campaign on behalf of the NCP, which is an LDF ally.

Meanwhile, NCP leader K. Muraleedharan said he would launch his campaign in Thiruvambadi on November 22. ``I will work for the LDF candidate's victory as decided by my party,'' he said. — PTI

Staff Reporter writes: Mr. Vijayan said the LDF would take a decision this month on Mr. Karunakaran and Mr. Muraleedharan taking part in the campaigning process.

Speaking to presspersons after holding parleys with NCP leaders T.P. Peethambaran and A.C. Shanmughadas at the Kozhikode Guest House here on Wednesday, Mr. Vijayan said the CPI(M) had a clear stand on the issue after the DIC(K) merger with the NCP this week.

This stand of the party on the issue was not to be disclosed now, the CPI(M) leader said.

However, he maintained that differences of opinion existed between the various constituents within the LDF on Mr. Karunakaran and Mr. Muraleedharan electioneering for the CPI(M) nominee at Thiruvambadi byelection. But he refused to divulge when the meeting of LDF would take place to discuss this contentious issue.

Replying to queries, Mr. Vijayan said he had not come across media reports citing that Chief Minister V.S. Achuthananandan approached the CPI(M) Polit Bureau that his six-month-old Government was unable to function properly due to internal conflicts in the party.

The NCP would also hold a separate convention on November 22 to finalise a list of leaders for campaigning in the bypoll.

To chalk out further strategies, a meeting of NCP leaders, including Mr. Muraleedharan was also held in Kozhikode on Wednesday.

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