KPCC boss won’t blink, off to Delhi for talks

Insisting that the ‘I’ faction wouldn’t retract from its demand for a leadership change in the UDF government, KPCC president K. Muraleedharan left for New Delhi today. His father and senior party leader K. Karunakaran also left for the national capital separately. ‘‘We would raise the demand during discussions with party high command in New Delhi tonight or tomorrow,’’ the KPCC chief told mediapersons.

Their visit to New Delhi assumes significance in the wake of AICC general secretary Ahmed Patel’s statement that the party high command had an open mind on all issues confronting the party in the state. Muraleedharan said he had spoken to Patel, who is in charge of Kerala, over phone.

He also said that he would apprise the high command of the activities of Speaker Vakkom Purushothaman ‘‘which are totally against democratic principles.’’

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Chief Minister A.K. Antony will also leave for New Delhi on Wednesday, according to his office here.

While Karunakaran boarded the flight from here, Muraleedharan left from Kozhikode. Sources close to Karunakaran said that the main purpose of the leader’s trip was to have a medical checkup at the Escorts Hospital. He had not scheduled any discussions with any party leaders so far, they said.