Politics aside, Prakash Karat goes on a literary ride

 CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat was no exception to this noble sentiment, as he took time off amid a hectic political schedule on Saturday to go on a literary drive, unwinding himself at a book launch here.

And as Karat formally launched the book, “The Wind and the Rain,” authored by late George K Mathew (GKM), the irrepressible professor-turned novelist of Madras Christian College (MCC), it was a homecoming for the  leader.

Putting aside all worries over  the delay in inking a seat-sharing pact with the  AIADMK for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Karat was at his nonchalance best as he fondly recalled GKM’s passion for English language and theatre.

Even as Karat was participating in the function, the CPM state committee led by G Ramakrishnan met in the city and passed a resolution that they were in no position to accept AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha’s latest offer of 11 seats for the Marxist party against their demand for 18 of the 234 seats. In the 2006 Assembly polls, the CPM as part of the DMK alliance got 13 seats.

However, with Amma’s hands getting tied in seat allocation after she liberally doled out 41 seats to actor-turned-politician Vijayakant’s DMDK, she is believed to have set apart 30 seats for the Left parties and MDMK, including 11 for the CPM, alone. “We will continue to talk to the AIADMK to reach an amicable seat-sharing formula,” said Ramakrishnan explaining his party resolution.