Saturday, April 9 2005 18:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Thiruvananthapuram: With the crisis in the Congress in Kerala continuing unresolved, former Chief Minister and CWC member A K Antony is expected to hold discussions with AICC (All India Congress Committee) Chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi in the coming days.

Antony, who has been pursuing a moderate line against the dissidents, led by former KPCC (Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee) president K Muraleedharan to avoid a split in the party unit, left Thiruvananthapuram for Delhi this afternoon.

Earlier in the day, Antony had a brief meeting with senior leader K Karunakaran at the latter's residence on the occasion of the death anniversary of Karunakaran's wife.

Asked by reporters what transpired at their meeting, Antony said they did not discuss politics, as the occasion was different.

In the present crisis, Antony had expressed himself against hard disciplinary action against the dissidents who had come out openly against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and held zonal rallies ignoring the high command's warning.

Chandy and his followers, however, were against showing lenience towards the dissidents holding that they had crossed all limits of organisational discipline.

Meanwhile, Muraleedharan, who was suspended from the party last month, told reporters that the "I" faction stuck to its demand that suspension clamped on leaders in the wake of 'parallel' rallies should be withdrawn.

The group would decide on further action if a decision on its demand was delayed, he said.