Cong tough, Murali ducks behind dad

Backstage, Muraleedharan also tried to work a cosmetic change, working around the rally to restructure it into a district meet instead, chaired by Kozhikode DCC chief Veeran Kutty. The plan backfired as Kutty put his foot down and for extra caution, got himself admitted to a private hospital. DCC secretary and prominent ‘I’ group man N.K. Abdurahiman has already said he will stay out of the rally. Support fizzled out further as a section of ‘I’ group workers in Kozhikode came out openly against the rally, saying their main grouse of not holding party polls had already been sorted out.

Predictably, Karunakaran followed up his son’s letter. ‘‘I am not one to go for any kind of confrontation with the AICC. I had never, ever, thought of splitting the party,’’ he said. ‘‘I will call on Sonia Gandhi soon and explain things to her. I am sure she would understand.’’ Alleging official attempts were on to break the rallies, Karunakaran said Chandy would have to be pulled up first for indiscipline.

Reacting angrily to reports that the AICC was working on gifting positions to his son and daughter Padmaja, he said: ‘‘I would rather hang myself than go for such a deal.’’

The high command sought to know from the Kozhikode district unit by 5 pm if it had organised the rally. The leadership is likely to crack down on the ‘I’ group which is at its weakest now. The group claims the loyalty of some 15 MLAs but its actual strength is considered much lower. Patel today met Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee over the rallies as the latter has been in touch with Karunakaran.