Karunakarans Deal With Regional Parties Upset Kesris Plans

Congress president Sitaram Kesris carefully laid plans to form a government with the support of various United Front partners came to naught partly because of senior Congress Working Committee member K Karunakarans ambiguity while negotiating the support of the southern regional groups.

Kesri trusted Karunakaran, one of the prime movers for the withdrawal of Congress support, to negotiate with the TDP, DMK and TMC before he pulled the rug. According to an AICC office bearer, Karunakaran negotiated their support, but for himself to lead a new coalition.

After Kesri had withdrawn the Congress support, Karunakaran told him that these southern leaders were willing to support a Congress-led coalition, but would prefer him at its head.

When Kesri made it known that only he could be the Prime Minister in a Congress-led coalition, the southern leaders, particularly TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, would not go along. After that, Kesris calculations about numerical support came apart at the seams.

The AICC office bearer says that Karunakaran was kept out of the Congress delegation to negotiate with the UF on Wednesday and Thursday because of his duplicity last week.

AK Antony, the other CWC member from Kerala, was included. After Karunakarans deal became known to his colleagues, Antony has emerged as one of Kesris strongest backers in the party.

Sharad Pawar, the partys Lok Sabha floor leader, tried to project Antony as a replacement for Kesri as party president, but Antony refused to go along even after some of Pawars friends in the party tried to persuade him. Antony has a clean image and was the other candidate in party leaders discussions when Kesri got the job last October.