Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 14: Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (S) leader H D Deve Gowda and party general secretary Bapu Kaldate, who were scheduled to arrive here on November 17 to contain the intra-party problems in the party unit, have put off their visit indefinitely.Gowda had offered to mediate after the groupism in the party threatened to get out of hand following suspension of former minister PR Kurup and his five loyalists. The former PM had asked his partymen in the state to convene a leadership meet so that he and Kaladate could hear the leaders from rival factions and resolve the differences. Accordingly, the date of their visit was tentatively fixed for November 17. But to the surprise of state leaders, the communication from the party High Command, received last week, wanted a rally to be organised on that day to be addressed by the central leaders.With infighting at its peak, a rally was the last thing the state leadership would have bargained for. Soon the high command was conveyedthe practical difficulties in convening a rally at short notice. The two leaders were asked to put off their proposed visit.A meeting of the state office-bearers of the party has been called here on November 17 to discuss the nitty-gritty of holding the rally. The party wants at least a month's time to prepare for the rally and hence Gowda's visit may not materialise before the year ends.In the November 17 meeting the dates for the state executive and general body meetings may be fixed.Following his suspension, Kurup may keep away from the meet which would make difficult the task of putting up a united front prior to Gowda's arrival. Moreover, after Kurup's suspension, a fresh crisis has erupted over the question of the party's nominee to Travancore Devaswom Board.The official group wanted the board membership to go to the party's Thiruvananthapuram district president Charupara Ravi. Accordingly, Ravi was told to resign as party district president and as member of the Director Board of KSRTC tofacilitate his nomination to the Devaswom Board. But Ravi's nomination didn't materalise following Kurup faction's objection to his nomination and the High Court strictures in the Guruvayoor Devaswom case.
