NCP not to merge with Cong, says party chief

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 7 (UNI) Asserting that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Kerala would never merge with the Congress, party state president K Muraleedharan today said it would march ahead with more vigour even if it faced crisis.

Talking to newspersons here, after a crucial leadership meeting of the NCP in the wake of senior party leader K Karunakaran expressing his wish to return to the Congress, he said, ''The party does not feel that Mr Karunakaran would go back to the Congress.'' He hinted that Mr Karunakaran had informed the party leaders that he would not be active in the party due to personal reasons.

However, he had extended his full support and wishes to the party.

Mr Karunakaran had not made any open statement that he wanted to go back to the Congress and what he said was that a decision in this regard would be taken only after taking into account the feelings of the party workers, Mr Muraleedharan pointed out.

''We do not feel that Mr Karunakaran will tell a lie and move to the Congress, ignoring the party workers,'' he added.

UNI