The Hindu : Front Page : Antony, Karunakaran hold parleys

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Wednesday, Jan 02, 2008
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Antony, Karunakaran hold parleys

Special Correspondent

Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar

Unity talks: Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony calls on veteran leader K. Karunakaran at the latter’s residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening. —

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress Working Committee member and Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony called on the veteran leader K. Karunakaran at the latter’s residence late Monday evening.

Mr. Antony is the only senior Congress leader to have called on Mr. Karunakaran since the All India Congress Committee’s official announcement of his re-entry into the Congress. The meeting, originally scheduled at 7 p.m., got delayed as Mr. Karunakaran returned home late after attending the concluding ceremony of the Sivagiri pilgrimage.

No Congress leader of note was present at the airport here when Mr. Karunakaran returned from New Delhi on Sunday. According to sources close to Mr. Karunakaran, the meeting is likely to arrive at an understanding on whether a merger conclave needs to be organised. The two leaders are unlikely to make a public announcement about this, but Mr. Karunakaran is known to be insistent on conducting such a rally in his characteristic style. However, the current leadership is reluctant to agree to such a move because of the general apprehension that it would become a rallying point for dissidents.

Mr. Antony was one of the few frontline leaders who constantly maintained that Mr. Karunakaran should not quit the party. He had also made behind-the-scenes efforts to prevent the spilt in the Congress that led to the formation of the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran). But in the end, he left it to the present leadership of the State unit of the Congress to take a final decision by refusing to further intervene in the matter.

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