TRIVANDRUM, 3 November 2003 — The crisis in Kerala’s Congress-led coalition government deepened yesterday with dissident leader K. Karunakaran asking Chief Minister A.K. Antony to hold an immediate session of the state legislative assembly and prove his majority as the Indian Union Muslim League’s mediation efforts made no headway.
The senior leader, who rejected Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s plea to wait till the Dec. 1 assembly polls to five states, also claimed support of the ruling coalition partners for a change of guard in Kerala. “There will not be another go for him. And we’ll see to it that he’s gone at the earliest. I have the support of more than 71 legislators,” he told reporters here.
The former chief minister was responding to Antony’s statement that he had no plans to convene the assembly and his detractors could parade the legislators before the governor if they want to topple his government. Antony also enjoys the backing of Sonia Gandhi.
Some 23 Congress legislators have openly pledged their support to Karunakaran while the 40-member opposition Left Democratic Front decided to back an alternative dispensation without joining it. Karunakaran needs the support of seven more legislators to prove majority in the 139-member house.
24 Killed in Bus Crash
At least 24 people, including women and children, were killed and 30 injured when a bus fell into a deep ravine near the western Indian city of Pune, a police official said yesterday. The accident took place on Saturday night 260 kms southeast of Bombay. “It has been a difficult task for police to search for the bodies in the gorge. Rescue teams have used cranes to remove the mangled vehicle,” R.P. Bhutkar, a police official, told Reuters by telephone from Satara.
