TRIVANDRUM, 1 December 2003 — Senior Kerala leader K. Karunakaran would float a new front that would uphold secular and democratic principles of the Congress party, Karunakaran’s son and Kerala unit president K. Muraleedharan said yesterday.
The preliminary talks with the constituents of the party-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which is in power in Kerala, and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which leads the opposition Left Democratic front (LDF), have already been completed, he said.
Muraleedharan said his father had to take this decision as Congress President Sonia Gandhi showed little interest in addressing the problems plaguing the party’s state unit. “Karunakaran doesn’t expect any justice from the (Congress) high command. He’ll now go back to the people,” he said.
The senior Congress leader, whose efforts to unseat Kerala Chief Minister A.K. Antony suffered a severe jolt as he could not muster enough support in the legislative assembly to split the party, has been accusing Antony of colluding with Hindu extremists in the state. He warned the chief minister against antagonizing the minorities, the traditional support base of the Congress party, by allowing Vishwa Hindu Parishath (VHP) to freely engage in a hate-campaign.
Muraleedharan said the UDF coalition had proved ineffective in resisting the growing communal and fascist forces. The CPI-M would also be part of the secular front.
Karunakaran had taken a political decision and he would go on fighting till the end he said, adding: “Karunakaran is following the policies of the Congress party. And who could challenge him? Sooner or later Sonia Gandhi would realize there is no future for the party without Karunakaran.”
Reacting to Muraleedharan’s comments, the CPI-M politburo member and leader of the opposition V. S. Achuthanandan said the Congress leader was expressing the general concern of the people and his party would take appropriate decision at appropriate time.
