TRIVANDRUM, 25 May — Crisis in the Kerala unit of the Congress party blew over yesterday after hectic lobbying for two days at the end of which the rebellious leader K. Karunakaran had to be content with three berths for his group, including induction of his henchman Professor K. V. Thomas.
Chief Minister Antony informed the Kerala Governor Sukhdev Singh Kang about his decision and the new ministers would be sworn in tomorrow, Congress sources said.
The new ministers are Thomas, Kadavoor Sivadasan, P. Shankaran (Karunakaran group), M. M. Hassan, K. Sankaranarayanan, Dr. M. A. Kuttappan (Antony group) G. Karthikeyan (Third Group) and K. Sudhakaran (Fourth Group). Vakkom Purushothaman would be the new speaker and Sundaram Nadar, the deputy speaker. Both belong to the Antony faction. The portfolios of the new ministers have not been announced. All except Kadavoor Sivadasan, K. Sankaranarayanan, G. Karthikeyan and Purushothaman are new faces. Purushothaman, one of the most respected leaders in the party, was the lieutenant governor of Andamans earlier. Antony’s trusted lieutenant and former Finance Minister Ommen Chandy opted out of the race, as he did not want to “become a minister through controversy.” Keeping Chandy out was one of Karunakaran’s demands.
Karunakaran later told reporters that he was not satisfied with the selection of ministers. “The regional and other balances have not been properly maintained.” K. Muraleedharan, the Kerala state unit president and the son of Karunakaran, also echoed his father’s sentiments.
Other ministers to be sworn-in tomorrow are Dr. M. K. Muneer (Public Works), N. Sooppy (Education), Cherkkalam Abdullah (Local Self-Governance) and C. F. Thomas (Registration and Rural Development). Muneer, Sooppy and Abdullah belong to the IUML while C. F. Thomas is KC-J nominee.
Trishul test-fire fails
TRIVANDRUM: Trishul, India’s much trumpeted surface to air missile system has reportedly failed once again in its test-fire as it crashed into the sea after developing serious snags when it was fired from the Navy’s gunnery establishment in Cochin. The weapon was also a failure in achieving several parameters needed for a quick reaction system of Trishul’s stature, the local newspapers said.
Chippy ties knot
TRIVANDRUM: The teenage star Chippy has tied the knot with film production executive Ranjit. The marriage was registered at a Registrar’s office here and Chippy’s parents objected to it. The industry sources said the two were in love for quite some time. Chippy made her debut in Bharathan’s Padheyam during her schooldays. She had acted in a host of films including the instant hits like Sphadikam, Devaragam, Adyathe Kanmani, Sopanam and Ee Puzhayum Kadannu in Malayalam. She entered the Kannada film world assuming Shilpa as her screen name and went on to become one of the most sought-after teenage heroines there.
