Veteran leader claims support of 71 lawmakers

Veteran Congress-I leader K. Karunakaran yesterday asked Chief Minister A.K. Antony to convene the State Assembly and face the challenge of proving his majority.

He was referring to Antony's statement yesterday that those who wanted an early Assembly session should approach State Governor Sikandar Bakht with the support of 71 MLAs to prove majority in a House of 140.

Karunkaran said there were more than 71 MLAs seeking a change of leadership in the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF).

Antony should be smart enough to tell those who want a leadership change to come to the Assembly so that he convenes and prove his majority.

The Chief Minister should have accepted the challenge within the House, he said, adding that the 'I' group led by him would implement its decision to change the present leadership.

Karunakaran, who has been holding regional conventions of his 'I' group flouting the party high command's directive, made the same demand yesterday at a well-attended meeting in Alappuzha.

"I challenge Antony to convene the Assembly. The present ministry will fall if the Assembly is held tomorrow," he said.

Noting that UDF constituents too were demanding a leadership change, he predicted that "a strong government‚ would be formed in the State soon."

Karunakaran charged Antony with spending more time in Delhi than in the State and said it was not Delhi that decided each and every issue here.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) today rebuffed Antony's charges that it was trying to topple him and said his "unbalanced outbursts" against it was triggered by the sharp differences of opinion brewing in his party.

A CPI-M statement issued here said his 'desperation', caused by the differences led to the outbursts. The CPI-M and its opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) were in no way bound to bail him out of the 'unenviable position'.