Thaindian News

Thiruvananthapuram, April 7 (IANS) Senior Congress leader K. Karunakaran, who is in hospital, does not have any medical problem — the nonagenarian is just deeply saddened over being slighted by the party, said his only son K. Muraleedharan.
Addressing reporters here Wednesday, Muraleedharan said his father is in hospital because he is sad as despite his seniority in the party no one gives any importance to what he says.

“The doctors have said he does not have any medical problem at all. He had asked for a few things in writing to the state leadership of the party but it was not taken seriously by the leadership. Hence, he is deeply saddened,” said Muraleedharan, anger writ large on his face for being kept out of the party.

Karunakaran, a former chief minister of Kerala, was admitted to a hospital Sunday night.

“In the past, several suspended Congress leaders have returned well before their suspension period ended, but for Muraleedharan, it is not happening.

“I am prepared to wait till my suspension period ends next April. Then the assembly election would be round the corner and all the key posts in the party and government would be decided. Then I will have no problem in getting a Rs.three membership,” he said.

Twice, this year and last year, the state executive of the Congress party decided that Muraleedharan need not be re-admitted to the party.

The father-son duo had walked out of the Congress in 2005 and formed the Democratic Indira Congress-Karunakaran. A year later, they found the going tough and merged the party with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for their political survival.

Karunakaran returned to the Congress in December 2007 but without Muraleedharan, who preferred to remain the president of the Kerala NCP.

With fortunes dipping, Muraleedharan quit the NCP last year and since then has been eyeing a return to the Congress.