Fireworks missing at Karunakaran I-group meet

With his daughter Padmaja Venugopal and six of 13 MLAs keeping away, the ‘I’ group meeting convened by K. Karunakaran to ‘&#1...

With his daughter Padmaja Venugopal and six of 13 MLAs keeping away, the ‘I’ group meeting convened by K. Karunakaran to ‘‘gauge the mind’’ of his followers turned out to be a damp squib.

It was sycophancy at its best at the meeting which was a series of emotional outbursts, repeated affirmation of faith in Karunakaran and Muraleedharan and also some customary slogan-shouting against Oommen Chandy.

Stopping short of taking a decision as was claimed, the meeting entrusted Karunakaran to take the ‘‘appropriate decision’’. The ‘I’ group will a hold a meeting of MLAs and ‘I’ group office-bearers on Tuesday. Karunakaran would announce his decision, if any, at the meeting.

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Sources said Padmaja kept off the meeting as she ‘‘did not want to be party to the split’’. The absence of the MLAs is a serious setback to the group’s ambitions despite the K-camp’s attempts to underplay it.

The two-hour session on Monday intended ‘‘to explore all available alternatives’’ ended with members leaving the responsibility to Karunakaran. Many coordination committee chairmen tried hard to convince Karunakaran that ‘‘there was no other alternative but to form a new party’’.

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