Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala, on Tuesday, called on veteran Congress leader K. Karunakaran to discuss the re-entry of his son, K. Muraleedharan, into the party.
With the KPCC executive committee scheduled to meet here on Wednesday, Mr. Karunakaran, who is leaving no stone unturned to get an opening for his son, called up Mr. Chennithala and sought a meeting.
The executive meeting is slated to discuss the former KPCC president’s re-entry on the basis of the letters written by Mr. Karunakaran making the demand.
According to informed sources, Mr. Chennithala told Mr. Karunakaran that he was not opposed to Mr. Muraleedharan’s entry, but a decision could be taken only through a consensus in tune with the practice of taking decisions in a united manner through discussions in party forums. Some media reports say that a section of Mr. Karunakaran’s supporters, led by his daughter, Padmaja Venugopal, are against readmitting Mr. Muraleedharan. Mr. Muraleedharan has called up various leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy and Mr. Chennithala.
Driving a wedge?
On the eve of the executive committee meeting, Mr. Karunakaran seems to have succeeded in creating a division among party leaders on the issue, but the success of his moves depend on how many of those who back his demand will openly campaign for it. There are as many leaders who support the readmission as those who oppose it.
