Kerala Chief Minister Antony resigns

Kerala chief minister A K Antony sent in his resignation to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who was visiting the state on the eve of a Congress legislative Party (CLP) meeting.

A Cabinet reshuffle was supprosedly on the cards, but after Antony met Sonia Gandhi in the afternoon, he sent in his resignation. Antony said that his resignation has been accepted by Gandhi.

"I have offered to resign, owning responsibility for the performance of the Congress in Kerala," he said. According to sources within the Congress, Kerala strongman and arch rival of Antony, Oomen Chandy is the front runner to replace him.

The rivalry between Antony and erstwhile chief minister K Karunkaran had resulted in a complete washout of the Congress in the 2004 General Elections, with the party failing to get a single seat. What is more, the BJP for the first time, opened its account in the state.

While Karunkaran retreated into a corner to lick his wounds after both his son and daughter lost elections, Oomen Chandy constinued to oppose A K Antony.

Chandy is considered a popular leader and the "backbone" of the Kerala Congress. Before the announcement of seats for the Lok Sabha, in fact, many had tried to resolve the feud between Karunkaran and Antony, but failed.

Sources confirm that the CLP meeting scehduled for tomorrow will see some drama. Vakkam Purushottamam, the state assembly Speaker is also being actively considered for the post, sources confirm.

"In fact Sonia Gandhi was visiting the state to attend a function on Sri Narayana Guru organised by Purushottamam,"said a senior leader.

Ramesh Chennithala, an AICC general secretary, who lost his Mavellikara parliamentray seat this time round, is not in the running. According to senior AICC leaders, Chennithala is not an MP and with Assembly polls slated for 2006, no one wants to vacate a seat.

Antony said that he gave in his resignation now "due to several reasons" but failed to elaborate on the matter.

This is not the first time that Antony has resigned.

His first resignation as Chief Minister came after a year in office he quit in 1978 when the breakway Congress of which he was a part decided to support Indira Gandhi in the Chikmagalur by-election.

He had then succeeded Karunakaran who resigned following adverse remarks made against him by the High Court in an Eemergency excess case.

Arackaparambil Kurien Antony, the 'Mr Clean' of Kerala politics is a man who rose from humble beginning and always remained simple in lifestyle even when he held positions of power and for him power was not a means to amass wealth.

Known for principles and conviction, Antony had not thought for a second when he had to quit his post whether as Chief Minister or as Central minister.

Antony, a strong critic of the emergency imposed by the late Indira Gandhi had spoken against it in the Guwahati session of the AICC.

He again resigned as the Union Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the Narasimha Rao government in 1995 on a question of principle when a statement was made in Parliament about his subject without his knowledege.