Rebels back out, high command puts foot down

The Congress high command heaved a sigh of relief today as K. Karunakaran failed to submit a list of MLAs to the Kerala Governor, the first ...

The Congress high command heaved a sigh of relief today as K. Karunakaran failed to submit a list of MLAs to the Kerala Governor, the first step towards the ouster of Chief Minister A.K. Antony. In a turnaround, the party leadership which till yesterday was planning on ‘‘accomodating’’ the Karunakaran camp, today hardened its stand especially against Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief K. Muraleedharan.

The AICC also stands vindicated among its partners in the United Democratic Front government in Kerala who had agreed to its request to wait till the Assembly elections for the high command to sort out the affairs in the state. The UDF had left it to the Congress to take a final decision on sorting out the crisis in its state camp.

With Karunakaran having sprung an anti-climax, it appears that only the opposition Left Democratic Front has been left to demand the ouster of Antony. The veteran had even claimed that he had the support of around 13 UDF MLAs who along with the 21 Congress MLAs backing him would have carried through his demand for special session of the Assembly.

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The Kerala Congress breathed easy too with Antony’s supporters celebrating the retreat of Karunakaran’s men, especially considering their claim of support from UDF MLAs.

Sources said only 18 Congress MLAs had come out in the open to support Karunakaran, which prompted him to shelve his plan to meet the Governor seeking a special session of the Assembly.

Senior leader from the Karunakaran camp, P.P. George, however, said they were only waiting for the ‘‘appropriate time’’ to meet the Governor. ‘‘We will go ahead with our gameplan to remove Antony from power. There will not be any change in our objective,’’ he added. The Karunakaran camp also charged that Speaker Vakkom Purushottaman was threatening MLAs against joining hands with them.

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