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Muraleedharan meets Antony

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Muraleedharan met Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Union Minister of State for Home Mullapally Ramachandran on Friday as part of his effort to return to the Congress.

Both Ministers — who are in favour of the Congress taking Mr. Muraleedharan back — are learnt to have advised him to ensure that he remains a disciplined worker of the party. On Thursday, Mr. Muraleedharan had met Congress general secretary in-charge of Kerala, Mohsina Kidwai, and submitted his apology letter.

Though the mood in the KPCC has turned in his favour since June when he first expressed a desire to return to the Congress after being expelled from the Nationalist Congress Party — of which he was the Kerala unit president — Mr. Muraleedharan has been advised patience.

Given that Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala is against his return to the Congress on the contention that Mr. Muraleedharan had not only left the party but was scathing in his criticism of the Congress and its leadership, the party’s central leadership does not want to rush into a decision that may once again unleash factional forces which have been kept under check for sometime now.

No talks: Chandy

According to a PTI report from Palakkad, senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy said here on Friday that no discussion was taking place in the Congress high circles on the matter.

“There is no discussion taking place in Delhi as being suggested by you,” Mr. Chandy told reporters when his reaction was sought to Mr. Muraleedharan’s renewed efforts to get back to the party. Mr. Chandy, however, said the final word on any issue in the Congress was that of the high command.

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