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Kerala Congress-IUML alliance must stay: Sonia

Special Correspondent

Says Congress’ four-decade-old alliance should not be jeopardised

Sonia wants issue to be handled at State level
Leaders say issue confined to Malappuram

NEW DELHI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday asked the party’s top leadership in Kerala to iron out the differences with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and ensure that nothing was done to jeopardise the four-decade-old alliance.

This directive was given to Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala and Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy when they met Ms. Gandhi here.

Underlining the close relationship her family has had with IUML president Panakkad Syed Mohammadali Shihab Thangal, she said he should not be humiliated in any way. Though for now, the Congress central leadership is of the view that the rift with the IUML over Congress leader Aryadan Mohammed’s remarks against Mr. Thangal should be handled at the State level, Mr. Chennithala and Mr. Chandy have a clear brief: “Resolve the issue through dialogue at the earliest.”

While the meeting with Ms. Gandhi comes in the wake of the recent round of bitterness between the two key allies in the United Democratic Front (UDF), Mr. Chennithala insisted that this was not the only issue on the agenda.

Briefing mediapersons after the meeting, he said: “We had sought an appointment earlier to discuss organisational matters and it was but natural that this came up.”

“No problem”

Both Mr. Chennithala and Mr. Chandy were one in maintaining that there was no problem between the Congress and the IUML.

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