New Delhi, May 1
Congress High Command today tried to play down the split in the Kerala unit of the party with veteran leader and former Chief
Minister K Karunakaran leading the revolt against the Central leadership.
Putting a brave face on the development in Kerala, AICC General Secretary Ahmed Patel, who is also in charge of the state, said “It was expected when we had expelled former KPCC President K Muraleedharan (son of Karunakaran) from the party for anti-party activities.”
Claiming that the party would emerge stronger after today’s developments in the state, he said there would be no scope for any “sabotage” of the party from inside any more.
Asked as how the party High Command had taken the split just before the Assembly elections, due early next year, Patel said, “After the expulsion of Muraleedharan, we knew something of this sort will happen. Certain activities of a group in the KPCC have been weakening the organisation for quite sometimes and with today’s development there will be an end to it and the party would emerge stronger.”
“Instead of causing damage through internal sabotage, they have now decided to go out. The party will be now more united and come out stronger before elections,” he said.
Describing the action of Karunakaran, one of the most senior leaders of the Congress, as “unfortunate”, he said the central leadership had “tried hard to maintain unity in the state organisation and had accepted many of their demands. But nothing had worked.”
He also took a dig at Karunakaran and Muraleedharana for naming their party as “National Congress Indira”, saying, “if they are so popular among masses, why should not they use their own names.”
“Why they want to use the name of Indiraji after splitting the party, which she had led for so many years,” he asked.
