A day after the Congress high command summons, senior party leader K. Karunakaran has decided to come to Delhi and meet party president Sonia Gandhi.He is expected in Delhi late tonight and might be seeking time to meet Sonia Gandhi tomorrow.Yesterday in Thiruvananthapuram, Karunakaran had sought a change in leadership in the state over Chief Minister A.K. Antony’s anti-minority remarks. On July 9, Antony had said minorities in the state, who hold influential positions, should not bargain for more from the Government.Though Antony clarified his position later saying he had not intended to hurt the minorities, this has not assuaged the feelings of Congress dissidents. The party high command had offered that dissidents with ‘‘genuine greivances’’ could come and talk to the party chief. On which way the crisis would go would depend on whether Karunakaran would repeat his demand for change in leadership over Antony’s anti-minority remarks.Last weekend, Karunakaran and his loyalists had threatened to sit separately separately in the Assembly. There were also fears the Appropriation Bill may not be passed.The Bill was, however, passed on Monday after the high command’s ‘‘effective intervention’’. Sources said the intervention included a threat to suspend five Karunakaran’s loyalists. It is said Karunakaran has the support of 24 of the 62 Congress legislators in the state. Most of them had also voted for the rebel candidate during Rajya Sabha elections in a clear act of indiscipline. Then, Antony had pleaded for leniency in dealing with these MLAs who were then let off with a warning.But this was against the sentiments of a section of the AICC leadership which had favoured strong action, fearing a resurgence in dissident activities. With Karunakaran targeting Antony this time, there seem to be very few choices left for the Congress high command in the matter.
