Karunakaran: All in the family

Thiruvananthapuram, March 16: Congress dynastic politics touched a new high — or a new low — in Kerala with old warhorse K. Karunakaran, daughter Padmaja Venugopal and son K. Muraleedharan all in the poll fray.

Karunakaran is sure to go to the Rajya Sabha as the ruling United Democratic Front with 100 MLAs in the 140-member House can ensure the victory of two candidates.

Muraleedharan is contesting in an Assembly bypoll and daughter Padmaja Venugopal in the Lok Sabha elections from either Mukundapuram or Kozhikode.

Before filing his papers for the Rajya Sabha here today, Karunakaran revealed how Padmaja got a ticket: “Either I could seek another term in Mukundapuram or name a candidate.”

He added: “I was not interested in standing for the Rajya Sabha. My supporters pressed me to contest. I have never tried to promote my kids.”

Karunakaran’s lieutenants are shocked. His main spokesman Rajmohan Unnithan, who failed to get the Kollam seat, said in an emotion-choked voice from Delhi: “The party has not fielded me ever since I contested in a college election 35 years ago.” Many like Unnithan are dismayed by the doting old dad’s progeny politics.

To questions about Padmaja’s qualifications, Karunakaran said: “It’s not one’s educational qualification but political experience that counts. She was my manager in the last two elections. She represents youth.”

Padmaja, 42, a graduate, is young, though a grandmother already. Her husband, Dr Venugopal, is a paediatrician in Kochi. One of the first appointments of the Antony government on assuming office almost three years ago was to appoint her as the chairperson of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation.

There is already a middle class revulsion to the Karunakaran brand of politics. What’s to be seen is whether the adverse impact would be confined to Mukundapuram, from where Padmaja is most likely to contest.

Muraleedharan, who had dumped the Karunakaran group to become power minister in the Antony cabinet two months ago, is roughing it out at Wadakkancherry to become a legislator within the mandatory six months of joining the cabinet.

Many believe this is a political game played by Antony to cause disaffection in the Karunakaran camp and drive home the point that past years of Antony-baiting has been for the sake of the family. Antony also saw to it that Karunakaran, who had vowed not to put in a request for a seat, finally had to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi for himself and his daughter’s sake.

A gratified Karunakaran said Antony was not his rival. Trying to live down the days of revolt, Karunakaran said he had only tried to take Antony along the right path.