Cong warns Kerala rebels

On Karunakaran8217;s stand of not supporting the party8217;s official candidate, Patel said: 8216;8216;I am worried only about the party not the candidate. Party is above the candidate.8217;8217;

Patel, who arrived at Karunakaran8217;s daughter8217;s residence at Panampilly Nagar around noon, had a closed-door meeting with Karunakaran for 30 minutes. After the meeting, Patel told mediapersons that Karunakaran has assured that he would not do anything which will divide or harm the party. 8216;8216;We will be meeting again after the elections. Today8217;s meeting is not the end of my mission. The message given by Karunakaran is loud and clear that he does not want to weaken the party.8217;8217;

Maintaining that he was not ready for a compromise on the issue of candidature, Karunakaran made it clear that betrayal of party workers will not be allowed in future. 8216;8216;The party workers know how to overcome the threat,8217;8217; he said, referring to Patel8217;s warning.

On Antony8217;s remark that a political drama is being enacted in the by-election, Karunakaran said the people of Kerala know who is

behind the communal frenzy.