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Chandy and Chennithala reiterate stance on Murali

NEW DELHI: Despite the fresh feelers from the former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Muraleedharan, the State unit of the party is yet to warm up to him and agree to his return. Clear indications to this effect came from KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala and Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy here on Monday.

Commenting on the issue with great reluctance after persistent questions from presspersons, the two said there was no change in the KPCC’s view.

The KPCC executive had earlier in the year taken a decision against taking Mr. Muraleedharan — who had left the Congress in May 2005 — back into the party.

After leaving the Congress, Mr. Muraleedharan first set up his own party and then joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and became its State president. He left the NCP after the Lok Sabha elections and had wanted to return to the Congress since. Given the view taken by the KPCC, the Congress central leadership had chosen to watch these developments without intervening till date for fear of upsetting the apple cart. Though the Congress embraced Mr. Muraleedharan’s father and former Chief Minister, K. Karunakaran, last year after he too left the party in 2005, senior leaders have insisted that there is no comparison.

“Mr. Karunakaran’s contribution to the Congress — particularly in building the Kerala unit of the party — is known to all. He is widely respected and recognised as a leader who never left the Congress till the twilight years of his life. Even in the few years that he stayed away, Mr. Karunakaran never spoke out so bitterly against the Congress like Mr. Muraleedharan,” a leader said.

As to whether Mr. Muraleedharan’s actions such as campaigning for the party in the recent byelections had made any impact, Mr. Chennithala and Mr. Chandy remained non-committal, dismissing views of Union Minister of State for Home Mullapally Ramachandran in favour of the return of Mr. Karunakaran’s son as the personal opinion of Congress leaders.

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