Amid re-emergence of factional trends in Kerala unit of the Congress, a group of party leaders and workers loyal to veteran leader K Karunakaran met at his residence apparently to drum up support for the leader's daughter Padmaja Venugopal as heir apparent.
Though the meeting was held at his Thiruvananthapuram residence Karunakaran did not personally attend the conclave.
Reacting to the development sharply, Karunakaran's son K Muraleedharan, who is still under suspension from the Congress, rubbished reports that his father had endorsed Padmaja as his political heir.
"The Aurangazebs of our times, who try to usurp power by holding father captive and doing away with siblings, will not survive for long," Muraleedharan told reporters in Kozhikode.
He said Karunakaran was still healthy enough to decide who should be his political successor.
According to sources in the Padmaja camp, the meeting was held to discuss strategies to be adopted by the original `I' group in the Youth Congress and organisational polls. They denied reports that any formal resolution was adopted urging Karunakaran to make Padmaja his successor.
"These are only attempts to belittle supporters of the senior leader," a prominent Karunakaran camper said.
Meanwhile, Union minister for Defense and Congress working committee member A K Antony has warned the party leaders that reemergence of group war would lead to total destruction of party and called upon the leaders in the state to be wary of this . He was addressing a programme in Kochi on Saturday.
The senior leader also said that if the party leaders are united in the state the party can reap the benefits and should try and cooperate with each other for the all round progress of the state .
Rediff.com earlier reported that the group war in the Congress has revived following the announcement of the Youth Congress elections.
The group owing allegiance to the KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala is trying to forge a broader "I" group in the party along with the fourth group headed by Union minister Vayalar Ravi.
With PTI inputs
