Cong not ready to let off Karunakaran

NEW DELHI: There is an increasing feeling in the Congress that the maverick leader from Kerala, K Karunakaran, wants to leave the party and set up a regional outfit with the support of the rival CPM.
Senior party leaders believe that Karunakaran would like the Congress to throw him out so that he can go out in a blaze of glory. But the party is not keen on obliging him and would instead prefer that if he has to go, he should leave on his own.The Congress leadership would like the veteran leader to remain in the party fold for his exit will mean an erosion in its cadres in Kerala where Karunakaran does enjoy some clout. At the last count, party sources said, he commanded the loyalty of 14 legislators who would even be willing to walk out on him.
However, Karunakaran''s tantrums and his long-standing feud with his bete noire, Kerala chief minister A K Antony, have been a source of embarrassment for the party leadership on more than one occasion. This bitter rivalry, however, touched a new high recently when Karunakaran openly supported and canvassed against the party''s official candidate, M O John, for the Ernakulam parliamentary byelection. The fact that the party''s candidate is close to Antony was enough to galvanise Karunakaran to see that his family members and supporters did all they could to ensure his defeat.
Karunakaran stopped short of supporting the rival CPM candidate. But he made a series of public statements, saying he saw nothing wrong about his actions since the Congress and the CPM were working in tandem at the Centre. Acutely embarrassed by the senior leader''s open defiance, the Congress leadership has set up a three-members panel, headed by L P Sahi, to look into this entire episode. However, realising that Karunakaran is basically spoiling for a fight, this panel is expected to take its time over its report.
Sources said that even if action is initiated, the party will not touch Karunakaran but instead crack the whip on his supporters. There have been similar instances when Karunaka-ran has defied the central leadership, be it the issue of distribution of the ticket for his supporters, pushing for a RS seat for his daughter or PCC presidentship for his son.