The Congress is dealing differently with its two former leaders in two states due soon to go to polls. The party is actively persuading Mamata Banerjee to form an alliance in West Bengal, and expects K Karunakaran in Kerala to ask forgiveness before he is accepted back.Mamata is in a comfortable alliance with the BJP. But the Congress has not closed the chapter with her yet. It has been trying to persuade her to disconnect with the BJP and come on board. After all, she had done something similar last time, and the party hoped she would come along this time too, said a source.Karunakaran has been snubbed by the Left. The CPI(M), after a bitter intra-party debate on accepting Karunakaran, has not decided in his favour. Now in the lurch, Karunakaran is weighing his options, which are anyway few. Besides, the Congress, after initial positive signals, has decided to go slow. “As of today he was not in the party,” said a senior leader. Sources said the party wanted Karunakaran to plead his case rather than being courted.Congress general secretary-in-charge of West Bengal Margaret Alva met Mamata in Kolkata on Wednesday, and the meeting was positive according to party sources. “The process will go on, and our attempt is to convince her for a secular alliance with the Congress,” the party said. Meanwhile in Kerala, the party feels Karunakaran crossed all limits when he personally targeted Sonia Gandhi. CWC member M Veerappamoily had discussions with A K Antony on the issue but the new approach is to ‘wait and watch’. Let Karunakaran show some interest, then the party would see, said a senior leader.
