New Delhi, Dec 27(UNI) As a prelude to his re-admission into the Congress Party, former Kerala Chief Minister K Karunakaran will meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi here on Sunday.
A formal announcement about the re-entry of 91-year-old Mr Karunakran, who had served the Congress Party for about seven decades before leaving it to launch an outfit of his own 31 months ago, would come after the meeting.
''Madam has given appointment to Mr Karunakran for December 30,'' an official of Sonia's official 10 Janpath residence confirmed here tonight.
AICC sources said it was the practice in the party to re-admit a former Party leader or a leader from another party after a formal meeting with the Party President.
Mr Karunakran was given an appointment with Ms Gandhi after he openly pledged his loyalty and acknowledged her leadership.
Mr Karunakaran, who expressed his willingness to return to the Congress Party four months ago, had written a letter to Ms Gandhi early this month.
Ms Gandhi had already expressed herself in favour of re-admitting Karunakaran when Kerala Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala met her on December six.
Though Mr Karunakaran had been expressing his desire to return to the party through the media during the past three months, he had given a formal letter only early this month, paving the Party High Command to consider the issue.
Mr Karunakran joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) along with his son and former KPCC President K Muraleedharan after merging his party Democratic Indira Congress, which he floated on May 1, 2005 after leaving the Congress Party.
Asked if Mr Muraleedharan, who is now state President of the NCP, would also be re-admitted to the party, AICC sources said he had already gone public stating that he differed with his father on returning to the Congress.
Sources said the Party would always acknowledge the seniority of Mr Karunakaran, who was Congress Chief Minister of Kerala four times, and his contribution to strengthen the party in the state where the Marxist Party had a strong following.
Sources said the Party High Command had decided to re-admit Mr Karunakran despite a strong reservation expressed by the Kerala Congress leadership which feared that it would lead to re-emergence of groupism in the state unit.
UNI
A formal announcement about the re-entry of 91-year-old Mr Karunakran, who had served the Congress Party for about seven decades before leaving it to launch an outfit of his own 31 months ago, would come after the meeting.
''Madam has given appointment to Mr Karunakran for December 30,'' an official of Sonia's official 10 Janpath residence confirmed here tonight.
AICC sources said it was the practice in the party to re-admit a former Party leader or a leader from another party after a formal meeting with the Party President.
Mr Karunakran was given an appointment with Ms Gandhi after he openly pledged his loyalty and acknowledged her leadership.
Mr Karunakaran, who expressed his willingness to return to the Congress Party four months ago, had written a letter to Ms Gandhi early this month.
Ms Gandhi had already expressed herself in favour of re-admitting Karunakaran when Kerala Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala met her on December six.
Though Mr Karunakaran had been expressing his desire to return to the party through the media during the past three months, he had given a formal letter only early this month, paving the Party High Command to consider the issue.
Mr Karunakran joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) along with his son and former KPCC President K Muraleedharan after merging his party Democratic Indira Congress, which he floated on May 1, 2005 after leaving the Congress Party.
Asked if Mr Muraleedharan, who is now state President of the NCP, would also be re-admitted to the party, AICC sources said he had already gone public stating that he differed with his father on returning to the Congress.
Sources said the Party would always acknowledge the seniority of Mr Karunakaran, who was Congress Chief Minister of Kerala four times, and his contribution to strengthen the party in the state where the Marxist Party had a strong following.
Sources said the Party High Command had decided to re-admit Mr Karunakran despite a strong reservation expressed by the Kerala Congress leadership which feared that it would lead to re-emergence of groupism in the state unit.
UNI
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