DIC(K) likely to merge with NCP

Kozhikode, Sept 12: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Democratic Indira Congress(DIC) founder leader K Karunakaran were scheduled to meet here later in the evening to work out modalities for the proposed merger between the two parties, amid reports of strong opposition from the DIC rank and file.

According to party sources, both the leaders were expected to reach here by the evening and the meeting would take place at the residence of DIC (K) president K Muraleedharan around 2000 hrs.

Expressing strong resentment against the move senior party leader and former state Minister P Sankaran, a close lieutenant of K Karunakaran, told reporters here today that they would be constrained to part ways with the ''leader'' if he went ahead with the proposed move ignoring the workers sentiments.

Senior leaders V Balaram and D Sugathan also expressed their displeasure against the move and convened workers meeting to decide on the future course of action if the merger took place.

Sources in the DIC(K), however, said the dissident leaders would fall in line if the ''leader'' favoured the merger as he was entrusted to take an appropriate decision on the issue by the party state executive meeting held at Thiruvanthapuram yesterday.

The NCP, in its state Executive Committee meeting at Kochi on September 8 had unanimously approved the proposed merger and unauthorised Mr Pawar to work out modalities.

Political pundits here were of the opinion that Mr Karunakaran was eager to merge his outfit with the NCP, a coalition partner in the UPA government at the Centre, with a wider agenda, after his party's move to align with the CPI (M) led LDF was thwarted by the later.

UNI