Rift between Congress factions widens

The deepening chasm between two factions in the Cong-ress party in Kerala was accentuated yesterday by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President K. Muraleedharan.

He warned State Chief Minister A.K. Antony of dire consequences if the government went ahead with a confidence vote in the Assembly before considering the motion for removal of Speaker Vakkom Purushothaman.

"At a time when the Congress high command is trying to solve the problems in the Kerala unit, if the Chief Minister goes ahead with his agenda of a confidence vote in the Assembly before considering the motion for removal of the Speaker, he alone will be responsible for the consequences," Muraleedharan warned.

He said that the move to introduce the confidence vote first would lead to a split in the Congress party in Kerala.

The rebellious-sounding statement makes matters even more difficult for the Congress high command. Reports from Delhi suggest that the high command is against a confidence vote since that would involve giving a party whip to its MLAs and if they violate the whip the high command will be left with no option but to give the marching orders to the faction supporting K. Karuna-karan.

But the `I' group has given clear indications that it is on the offensive by setting up a special office in Kochi to function as the co-ordination centre for the massive rally planned for November 19.