Cong-Karunakaran tie-up riddled with obstacles

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 19 (UNI) The talks for a possible tie-up between the Congress and veteran leader K Karunakaran's party in Kerala, a step that is expected to boost the prospects of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the April-May Assembly polls, have been riddled with roadblocks with ''clouds of misunderstanding between the two still remaining.'' While Chief Minister Oommen Chandy stuck to his stand that the Democratic Indira Congress (K) should contest the elections on the hand symbol in the event of a tie-up, DIC(K) president K Muraleedharan wanted to retain his party's identity.

Several rounds of discussions were held today by the Congress to find a solution to vexed issues.

Party sources said the symbol issue and the number of seats to be allotted to the DIC(K) were the major stumbling blocks.

Working Committee member in charge of Kerala Veerappa Moily held talks with Mr Oommen Chandy, KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala, CWC Member A K Antony and also with the leaders of the Indian Union Muslim League, the second largest constituent of the ruling coalition on whose initatives the efforts were being made to bring back Mr Karunakaran, who left the Congress in May last year to form the DIC(K).

If the Congress failed to strike a deal with the DIC(K) by tonight, Mr Karunakaran is likely to announce his party's decision to contest alone in all the 140 Assembly segments at a party meeting scheduled to be held in Kochi tomorrow.

Since the Marxist-led Left Democratic Front had already closed its doors for the DIC(K), the options left before Mr Karunakaran was either to contest alone or enter a tie-up with the BJP. At this juncture, it is unlikely that Mr Karunakaran will go for an open understanding with the BJP.

The sources said the DIC(K) was not going to make much progress in the highly bi-polar political scenario in the event of it deciding to contest alone. But the split of Congress votes would dampen the prospects of the UDF.

Senior leaders of coalition parteners and also some in the Congress strongly advocated that Congress should not take an adamant stand on the issue. It should be ready to make some adjustments with the DIC(K) to take full advantage of the conducive atmosphere arising out of the factionalism with the CPI(M).

They argued that the UDF stood a good chance to retain power, if it joined hands with the DIC(K).

UNI CR KVV LR KN1811

For Daily Alerts
Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
X