Mrs Mohsina Kidwai, AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, made the announcement IN Delhi after Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee(KPCC president, Mr Ramesh Chennithala and Leader of the Opposition, Mr Oommen Chandy met Congress president Sonia Gandhi to seek Murali’s readmission into the party.

It is sweet homecoming for Muralidharan, who had been expelled from the Congress for anti-party activities in 2005.

Murali’s homecoming, with the state assembly elections less than three months away, will strengthen the UDF bid to wrest power from the ruling Left Democratic Front(LDF) Government in the poll battle due in May 2011.

Karunakaran’s son has a solid base in the Malabar region, especially in Kozhikode and neighbouring Wayanad districts. He wields considerable influence in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram as well.

Murali proved his strength in the local bodies elections held in October 2010 by helping the Congress to recover a lot of lost ground ad giving a close contest to the LDF in Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kasargode districts.

It remains to be seen whether his return will give a further fillip to groupism, which has been the bane of the Congress in Kerala. No matter what the leaders say, groupism can never come to an end in the Kerala unit. The Karunakaran loyalists in the party will naturally expect Muralidharan to become the focal point for them.

But there are indications that at least in the short term, Murali will keep a low profile. He is on record that he will be a disciplined worker of the Congress and carry out any responsibility the party may deem fit to entrust to him. As for his contesting the coming assembly elections, he said it was for the party high command and the state Congress leadership to decide.

Since he is a former KPCC president, he will automatically become a member of the KPCC executive. It may be mentioned that his performance as the KPCC president had earned him praise even from the rivals.

Murali’s return to the Congress was Karunakaran’s last wish. And it would have been better had he been readmitted while he was alive. But that was not to be owing to the reservations of some party leaders who feared that his return would affect their role and supremacy in the party. Bt over the years the opposition to his re-entry had lessened. Murali also waited patiently for over 20 months so that he can plan his comeback in an agreeable ambience. Hence the delay.

Be that as it may, the Congress is in a joyful mood now and celebrating the return of the prodigal son. (IPA)