It has been a season of return of the prodigals for Congress, as just months after Chhattisgarh leader V C Shukla staging a homecoming, veteran Kerala politician K Karunakaran on Sunday also returned to his mother party that he had left in a huff following a tiff with the AICC leadership in 2004.

Mr Karunakaran’s return was announced by the AICC after he met party president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and promising to them that he would work to strengthen the party organisation in Kerala. “Mr Karunakaran in back in Congress. There was unanimity in the party over his return,” Mohsina Kidwai, AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, said. She was also present when the senior leader met Ms Gandhi and Dr Singh. “He told Ms Gandhi that he would work towards strengthening the organisation,” she said.

Incidentally, his son K Muraleedharan, who had also quit Congress and is currently heading the NCP in Kerala, has refused to return to the party.

Earlier this week, Ms Kidwai had spoked with Mr Karunakaran and invited him to come  meet the party leadership following his expression of interest to return to Congress.