'Karunakaran resignation, an internal matter'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL 7. Even though the move by senior party leader, Mr. K. Karunakaran, to resign from the Congress Working Committee may have come as a surprise, the party today preferred to observe the development as an ``internal matter''.

The Congress party leaders in Delhi appeared confident that the sudden storm that hit the party in Kerala, would be sorted out and that it may not have any impact in the coming Assembly elections.

Talking to correspondents at the AICC headquarters, the CWC member, Mr. Ahmed Patel said, ``Mr. Karunakaran is a senior and respected leader who has an important say in all national matters'' while the party general secretary, Ms. Ambika Soni, added the party always sought his views on all important issues.

On the distribution of tickets, Mr. Patel, a member of the Central Screening Committee, asserted the allotment was on the basis of merit. He said the party did not go by any groups and therefore there was no question of doing any injustice to any formation. The party leaders said grievances, if any, would be looked into. Mr. Karunakaran, a permanent invitee to the CWC, put in his papers charging that the ticket distribution was ``stage managed''.

Both Mr. Patel and Ms. Soni expressed confidence that the prospects of the United Democratic Front (UDF) would not be affected. They said the senior leader would not do anything that would lead to a situation that could affect the UDF prospects.

There were reports that Mr. Karunakaran was upset over the denial of a party ticket to his daughter, Ms. Padmaja Venugopal. However, her name was not part of the lists sent to the AICC by either the District Congress or the Pradesh Congress, party sources said adding that in such a scenario the question of the Central Election Committee considering her name did not arise.

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