Crisis looms NCP; Leaders rally behind Karunakaran

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 30 (UNI) The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Kerala is facing serious crisis with a section of the party leaders rallying behind veteran leader K Karunakaran, who has expressed wish to return to his parent Congress party.

It is learnt that a section of NCP leaders who participated in a meeting called by Mr Karunakaran at his residence today had extended their solidarity.

The staunch supporters of Karunakaran had made it amply clear that they would not attend the NCP state executive meeting tomorrow.

Almost all the former office-bearers of the Democratic Indira Congress-Karunakaran (DIC-K), which the veteran leader had formed after leaving the Congress two years ago, were present.

However, NCP president K Muraleedharan, son of Karunakaran, did not turn up at his father's residence.

Mr Muraleedharan became the state NCP president after Mr Karunakaran merged the DIC-K with the state unit of the NCP last year.

Earlier in the day, one of Karunakaran's trusted lieutenants Kodoth Govindan Nair quit the post of NCP state vice-president.

Awaiting signal from the Congress High Command to rejoin the party, Mr Karunakaran had expressed his wish last month to return to the parent party. Of late, he was attending meetings of the NCP.

UNI