Karunakaran and Murali strike anti-BJP position

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The senior Congress leader, K. Karunakaran, on Friday drew the contours of political developments that are likely to take place after his May 1 Thrissur convention by indicating that he would not take positions that would allow the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to capitalise on the situation.

Mr. Karunakaran, who returned from Delhi this afternoon, steered clear of questions relating to a possible split in the Congress. He maintained that a final decision would be taken at the May 1 convention, which has been convened to hear the views of his supporters. Mr. Karunakaran, however, could not conceal his discomfiture at the new political situation. "I don't know whether any mediatory efforts are on. But I don't see the possibilities for it," he told mediapersons when they met him at his residence.

Asked what political line he would take after May 1, Mr. Karunakaran said he would stick to the declared policies of the Congress, but would not take positions that would give space to the BJP in Kerala. He said his main concern was the organisational aspects in the days after the convention. In any case, we would not pursue violent methods, he added.

The expelled Congress leader, K. Muraleedharan, also spoke more or less on the same lines. Mr. Muraleedharan was more forthcoming than Mr. Karunakaran about the floating of a new party and the options open to it. "All doubts about our plans would be cleared on May 1," Mr. Muraleedharan told mediapersons here at a conference venue.

Mr. Karunakaran met the NCP leader and Union Minister for Agriculture and Food, Sharad Pawar, shortly before he left Delhi this morning. Asked about it, Mr. Karunakaran said that he had met many leaders, not only from the Congress, but also from other parties.

Asked whether he was probing the possibilities of a link with non-Congress leaders such as Mr. Pawar, Mr. Karunakaran shot back: Why do you exclude K. Chandrashekhar and Deve Gowda?"