Congress high command hopes to end rift in Kerala

Congress President Sonia Gandhi yesterday named senior leader Oscar Fernandes to meet Kerala strongman K. Karunakaran and sort out the rift in Kerala unit of the party.

A mellowed Karunakaran signalled that a solution could be found in a day or two. Already Oscar Fernandes has initiated talks with Karunakaran and had a preliminary discussion.

"There are certain problems in Kerala. The Congress high command is at it and I hope in a day or two, I shall be able to tell something," he said.

At the same time, Karunakaran refused to budge on the question of deferring the zonal rally in Ernakulam on March 21. The rallies were to strengthen the party and to highlight our views and we have succeeded to certain extent, he said.

Karunakaran put out only two demands to strengthen the party and it should function in a democratic way. The Congress leadership favours that a free and fair organisational elections, which should possibly serve the factional interests.

Meanwhile, the executive committee meeting of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee which was held in the state capital provided no fresh impetus to breaking the deadlock among the warring factions in the Congress unit in Kerala. The meeting made no decision on any disciplinary action to be taken against individual members of the party in the context of rallies being organised by the 'I' faction.

The meeting witnessed strong sentiments being expressed for and against the zonal rallies being organised by the Karunakaran faction which does not have the blessings of the Congress high command.

Interestingly, the factional divide in the party now appears to be taking a new course with former chief minister A.K. Antony being sidelined even within the 'A' group.

Antony's remarks over the past week that the party should avoid a split has been considered by many in the 'A' group as a soft approach to the rebels, and for the same reason Antony is seen by some political observers here as becoming isolated within the `A' group, with chief minister Oommen Chandy appearing to be the new commander of the 'A' group.

In Kozhikode, Karuna-karan's son said the 'I' group would go ahead with the last of the three zonal rallies of the group as per schedule on March 21 in Kochi.