Congress puts the ball in Karunakaran's court

Kochi, Mar 6 (UNI) Putting the ball in estranged party leader K Karunakaran's court, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee today said those who left the party ''due to personal differences or misunderstandings'' were welcome back if they accepted the leadership of Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

The political resolution moved at the general body meeting of the KPCC here said that the Congress would ''welcome back without reservation'' all workers and leaders, who had left the party, if they accepted the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Accusing the Communist Party of India (Marxist) of exploiting the differences of opinion within the Congress to encourage some leaders to leave the party, the KPCC said that a new party called the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) was formed on this basis.

These Congressmen were ''misled'' by the CPI-M into thinking that they would get the full support of the opposition party to bring down the Congress-led UDF Government.

The CPI-M, however, ditched the DIC (K) after using its support during the three-tier local body elections and the subsequent Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha by-election.

''Such a development has no comparison and is unparalleled in the history of Kerala politics,'' the KPCC noted.

It further observed that Congress Working Committee member and former chief minister A K Antony had cautioned Mr Karunakaran not to trust the CPI-M. The decision of the Marxist party, announced by its general secretary Prakash Karat recently not to have any truck with the DIC(K), had proved Mr Antony's warning correct, it added.

''The KPCC will welcome back without reservation all Congress workers and leaders who had left the party due to personal differences or misunderstandings if they accepted the leadership of Mrs Sonia Gandhi,'' the political resolution added.

Pointing out that changing governments in Kerala had affected its developmental process, the KPCC appealed to the people to bring the UDF back to power to carry forward the process of development initiated by it.

The resolution will be discussed and passed at the plenary session of the KPCC here tomorrow.

UNI ARC DK1403