Is Muraleedharan returning to the Congress?

The return of former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K.Muraleedharan into the Congress party is almost clear with the state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala and Union Minister Vayalar Ravi supporting his return.

Chennithala who is considered as the major stumbling block for the entry of Muraleedharan into the party told press persons that he has no objections to Muraleedharan returning to the party .He however said that the final decision was vested with the party high command and that the decision had to come from Delhi.

Chennithala also said that Muraleedharan had worked hard for the UDF in the local body polls.

It may be recalled that Muraleedharan after a successful stint as the state Congress president had quit the party and had formed his own political party ,Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) along with his father ,former chief minister K Karunakaran. Karunakaran later returned back to the Congress party while Muraleedharan continued with the NCP after DIC merged with it .

Ramesh Chennithala and Oomen Chandy strongly objected to the reentry of Muraleedharan into the party fold as these two leaders who are at the helm of affairs in the Congress party of Kerala was directly and personally attacked by Muraleedharan in public .This coupled with a few anti-Sonia remarks made by him sealed the fate of Muraleedharan as far as the reentry into the Congress was considered .

Muraleedharan said that he would wait for the high command's decision and welcomed Chennithala's statement . He also said that he had worked for the UDF in the just concluded local body polls and that he does not want any position in the Congress party after his return .

With Muraleedharan's return ,the chances of his sister Padmaja Venugopal who has been trying get a place for herself in the party have turned bleak .She has opposed Muraleedharan's return to the Congress. Sources in the Congress party told rediff.com that the change of mind of Ramesh Chennithala has resulted in the reentry of Muraleedharan into the party fold and that this could be attributed to the Padmaja's close association with Oomen Chandy, who is considered to be Chennithala rival for the CM's post