Fissures in Congress over re-entry of Muraleedharan

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 8 : Trouble appears to have broken out in the Kerala unit of the Congress over the question of former party state president K. Muraleedharan's re-entry into the party.

Muraleedharan was suspended from the Congress for anti-party activities in 2005 following which he and his father K. Karunakaran formed the Democratic Indira Congress-Karunakaran (DIC-K). A year later, the DIC-K merged with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

On Aug 1 this year, he was expelled from the NCP after he made his intention public that he was interested to return to the Congress.

The Congress executive in August decided that Muraleedharan need not be taken back into the party.

However, the issue was raised again when Minister of State for Home Mulapally Ramachandran said a few days ago that Muraleedharan should be allowed to return to the party.

And since then, senior Congress leaders have come up with differing opinions on the matter.

State Congress president Ramesh Chennithala said the decision of the August party executive, that Muraleedharan should not be taken back, stands.

"It was a decision taken by the party executive, and at the moment there is no need for reversal of that decision," Chennithala said Sunday.

Karunakaran, reacting to the statement of Ramachandran, said: "Mulapally is a true Congress leader and his opinions are respected."

"None can stop the re-entry of Muraleedharan into the party," said Karunakaran, who returned to the party in December 2007.

Leader of Opposition and former Congress chief minister Oommen Chandy, reiterating Chennithala's statement, said the party executive decision stands.

"However, Mulapally has every right to express his opinion," said Chandy.

Differing on the issue, Chandy's adversary and former Congress minister K.K. Ramachandran said the party executive can have a discussion again on taking Muraleedharan back.

"After all, Muraleedharan is asking for a Rs.3 worth membership," said Ramachandran, who a few years back was the biggest critic of the father and son.

Muraleedharan is keeping a stoic silence on the matter.