03-23-2005, 03:00 AM
Some more good news from down south
http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?m...t&counter_img=4
Now it's no holds barred in Kerala
Pioneer News Service/ PTI/ Thiruvananthapuram/ New Delhi
In stepped-up dissident activities by Karunakaran faction in Kerala's ruling Congress, a minister loyal to the veteran leader on Tuesday resigned even as 13 MLAs supporting him were served showcause notices for attending a rally defying the party high command. Karunakaran loyalist MLAs, however, asserted they have not violated any whip by attending the rally in Kochi on Monday.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy rejected the resignation of Culture Minister AP Anil Kumar, who quit overnight saying Chandy had lost trust in him. Chandy announced in the Assembly that he was not accepting the resignation of Kumar, though he had received his letter before leaving for Gujarat to take part in the Dandi yatra.
According to political pundits, the resignation of Kumar was considered a fall out of the squabbles within the Congress party. Kumar, a Karunakaran man all along, did not attended the legislature party meeting held on Monday at the behest of the Chief Minister. The meeting was held to decide the new deputy of the CLP after the post fell vacant with the removal of MP Gangadharan who had taken part in the Karunakaran-led rally in Thiruvananthpuram. Kumar said he did not want to be a part of the decision to replace senior leader Gangadharan. "The Chief Minister did not seek my resignation and the decision to quit is my own," Anil Kumar said.
Meanwhile, criticising the high headedness of the Chief Minister, leader of the factional 'I' group, Karunakaran said that Congress president Sonia Gandhi must interfere in this issue directly or else there could be a division in the party.
He further alleged that the Chief Minister must have forced Kumar to take such an action.
But though Chandy did not accept the resignation of Kumar, he issued show cause notices to 13 Congress MLAs for attending a rally organized by Karunakaran's faction in Kochi defying the high command. Chandy in his capacity as CLP leader asked the MLAs to explain why they attended the rally asking them to reply within two days or face action.
In a reply drafted by the MLAs at a meeting held at Karunakaran's house, they are understood to have said that they had neither disobeyed the high command nor violated the CLP whip and questioned Chandy's claim that the rally was organised by Muraleedharan. The rally, they said, was inaugurated by Congress party's national leader Karunakaran.
In New Delhi, AIC incharge of Kerala affairs Ahmed Patel warned that action would be taken against leaders fanning rebellion within the party. "We are not going to buckle under pressure and you can expect some action in two days against who ever has broken party discipline." Sources indicated that Karunakaran's son K Muraleedharan may be expelled from the party.
Patel seemed unimpressed by the praise heaped by Karunakaran and his son and suspended former PCC chief K Muraleedharan on the Gandhi family and pointed to the fact that two leaders had attacked the Chandy government.
Meanwhile, senior leader KV Thomas, who had been negotiating a peace deal on behalf of Congress working committee member AK Antony, met Sonia Gandhi and favoured initiation of disciplinary action against dissident leaders in Kerala.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?m...t&counter_img=4
Now it's no holds barred in Kerala
Pioneer News Service/ PTI/ Thiruvananthapuram/ New Delhi
In stepped-up dissident activities by Karunakaran faction in Kerala's ruling Congress, a minister loyal to the veteran leader on Tuesday resigned even as 13 MLAs supporting him were served showcause notices for attending a rally defying the party high command. Karunakaran loyalist MLAs, however, asserted they have not violated any whip by attending the rally in Kochi on Monday.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy rejected the resignation of Culture Minister AP Anil Kumar, who quit overnight saying Chandy had lost trust in him. Chandy announced in the Assembly that he was not accepting the resignation of Kumar, though he had received his letter before leaving for Gujarat to take part in the Dandi yatra.
According to political pundits, the resignation of Kumar was considered a fall out of the squabbles within the Congress party. Kumar, a Karunakaran man all along, did not attended the legislature party meeting held on Monday at the behest of the Chief Minister. The meeting was held to decide the new deputy of the CLP after the post fell vacant with the removal of MP Gangadharan who had taken part in the Karunakaran-led rally in Thiruvananthpuram. Kumar said he did not want to be a part of the decision to replace senior leader Gangadharan. "The Chief Minister did not seek my resignation and the decision to quit is my own," Anil Kumar said.
Meanwhile, criticising the high headedness of the Chief Minister, leader of the factional 'I' group, Karunakaran said that Congress president Sonia Gandhi must interfere in this issue directly or else there could be a division in the party.
He further alleged that the Chief Minister must have forced Kumar to take such an action.
But though Chandy did not accept the resignation of Kumar, he issued show cause notices to 13 Congress MLAs for attending a rally organized by Karunakaran's faction in Kochi defying the high command. Chandy in his capacity as CLP leader asked the MLAs to explain why they attended the rally asking them to reply within two days or face action.
In a reply drafted by the MLAs at a meeting held at Karunakaran's house, they are understood to have said that they had neither disobeyed the high command nor violated the CLP whip and questioned Chandy's claim that the rally was organised by Muraleedharan. The rally, they said, was inaugurated by Congress party's national leader Karunakaran.
In New Delhi, AIC incharge of Kerala affairs Ahmed Patel warned that action would be taken against leaders fanning rebellion within the party. "We are not going to buckle under pressure and you can expect some action in two days against who ever has broken party discipline." Sources indicated that Karunakaran's son K Muraleedharan may be expelled from the party.
Patel seemed unimpressed by the praise heaped by Karunakaran and his son and suspended former PCC chief K Muraleedharan on the Gandhi family and pointed to the fact that two leaders had attacked the Chandy government.
Meanwhile, senior leader KV Thomas, who had been negotiating a peace deal on behalf of Congress working committee member AK Antony, met Sonia Gandhi and favoured initiation of disciplinary action against dissident leaders in Kerala.