Karunakaran re-joins Congress

New Delhi, Dec 31: Veteran politician and a four-time Chief Minister of Kerala, K Karunakaran on Sunday made a comeback to the Congress party, which he had left in 2005 to form Democratic Indira Congress. Karunakaran, 89, met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and conveyed his desire to return to the party. His request was accepted by Sonia Gandhi. He said his return to the Congress was "unconditional" as he wanted to serve the party.

"Serving the party means serving the nation," he said after meeting Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.Karunakaran went on to say that he was ready to work wherever his services were needed for the party. He expressed hope that his son K Muraleedharan would also return to the Congress.

In May 2005, Karunakaran parted ways with the Congress party over differences with the state and central leadership. Muraleedharan, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) state president, had also left the Congress along with his father. ANI>