The Hindu : UDF panel meet on February 24

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 19, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

UDF panel meet on February 24

By Girish Menon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 18 . The UDF High Power Committee (HPC) meeting on February 24 is expected to sort out disputes relating to sharing of seats for the Lok Sabha elections.

The UDF HPC has been virtually defunct as a result of the factional feuds in the Congress. It had last met on August 22 shortly before the Ernakulam by-election. The date for the HPC meeting was finalised only after the Congress row was settled, with the induction of K. Muraleedharan into the Antony Cabinet and the installation of P.P. Thankachan as the acting KPCC president.

One of the main issues that would figure in the UDF meeting is the claim for seats by some of its constituents. The Kerala Congress (B), the Kerala Congress (Jacob) and the RSP (B) have demanded the Adoor, Muvattupuzha and Kollam seats respectively. There are indications that the IUML might also demand one additional seat, either Kozhikode or Kasaragod. The CMP has also demanded a seat, but on the strength of the communist confederation it has floated with the assistance of several former CPI (M) leaders in other States.

This time, the Congress would ask the UDF partners not to make any claims that would reduce the number of seats it would get to contest. Since numbers would be important in 14th Lok Sabha, the Congress would naturally want to contest more seats in Kerala, which is one of the few States in the South that can return a large contingent of MPs for the party.

Congress leaders also do not expect the UDF partners to create problems in terms of seat. According to their assessment, the demand for additional seats has been put forward as some of the UDF partners would like to get some kind of accommodation in the vacancies in some of the bodies. The Travancore Devaswom Board, Public Service Commission and several other institutions are due for reconstitution. The Kerala Congress (B) and the RSP (B) are keen on getting their members on the Travancore Devaswom Board.

The board has two vacancies following the expiry of the term of office of Charupara Ravi and D Sasidharan. Since the Congress itself has a claim to one of the vacancies, it would be interesting to watch how the UDF would tackle this issue.

The Kerala Congress (M) is unlikely to give up its Muvattupuzha seat now that it has unofficially made it known that Mr. Jose Mani would contest the seat.

The Revenue Minister would also like to settle scores with the Union Minister, P.C. Thomas, whose fledgling party IFDP is now part of the NDA alliance.

The KPCC executive would meet on February 23 and is scheduled to formulate the Congress stand on the seat-sharing issue.

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