Ex-Cong stalwarts Pawar, Karunakaran to join hands

Kochi, Sep 8 (UNI) The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, took another step towards the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran), floated by veteran Kerala leader K Karunakaran, merging with it, with the NCP State Executive committee today unanimously approving the proposed merger.

Addressing a press conference here after a meeting of the State Executive Committee, NCP Kerala President Cyriac John and Party National General Secretary D P Peethambaran said the meeting, attended by 45 of the 55 members of the committee, unanimously ratified the proposal.

They said Mr Sharad Pawar, who will be on a four-day official visit to Kerala from September ten to 13, will meet Mr Karunakaran and his son and DIC(K) President K Muraleedharan at Kozhikode on September 12.

Asked whether the proposed merger would create difficulties for the NCP continuing as a member of the LDF, which had during the last Assembly elections opposed any alliance with the DIC(K), Mr John said there was no question of any opposition because after the merger, there would be no DIC(K).

''Mr Karunakaran and Mr Muraleedharan will accept the NCP policies and the NCP will continue to be a part of the LDF in Kerala,'' he stressed.

On the coming together of the two breakaway groups of the Congress, Mr Peethambaran said it was nothing new as other splinter groups from the Congress had merged with the NCP earlier.

The DIC (K) is also scheduled to meet on September ten to discuss the issue, Mr John said.

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