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JSS gives up demand for seat

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 1. The UDF high power committee today wrapped up its seat-sharing formula on the basis of which the Congress would field its candidates in 17 Lok Sabha seats. The five constituents that had demanded a seat each either withdrew their claims or did so under protest. The front had earlier decided to allot the Manjeri and Ponnani seats to the IUML and Muvattupuzha to the Kerala Congress (M).

The formula was finalised after the UDF convener, Oommen Chandy, the KPCC president, P.P. Thankachan and the Electricity Minister, K. Muraleedharan, met the Agriculture Minister and JSS leader, K.R. Gouri, in the morning and made her agree to drop her claim for the Alappuzha seat.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Chandy said the five constituents, namely, the JSS, the Kerala Congress (B), the Kerala Congress (Jacob), the RSP (B) and the CMP, had put forward a set of recommendations before the Congress leadership, mainly intended to strengthen the UDF. The seat-sharing formula for the Lok Sabha would not be applicable for the next Assembly elections and the Congress had wanted 17 Lok Sabha seats, given the party's national imperatives.

Asked whether any of the constituents had been assured of a larger share in the Assembly elections, he said it was too early for such a question as the polls were two years away.

Mr. Chandy, however, said that none had raised any issue that would have created problems for the Congress. "Their recommendations pertained to some important issues of public interest and not meant to cause trouble for the Congress," he said.

However, he refused to go into the details of the talks held with various constituents, particularly the JSS, which had in the eleventh hour, hardened its position on wresting a seat. The Congress did not find anything wrong in the constituents demanding a seat each. He thanked the five partners for adopting a favourable stand vis-a-vis the Congress' demand for more seats.

Asked whether any of the constituents had opposed the nomination of any Congress candidate, he said the final decision would be taken by the high command on the basis of the recommendations of the KPCC election committee. The party would take into consideration the views of its partners as well before finalising the candidates' list.

Some of the partners like the JSS wanted some assurance about proper allocation of seats in the next elections in tune with their relative strength. This apparently prompted the UDF convener to observe in his press briefing that the formula adopted for the Lok Sabha elections would not be applicable to the Assembly elections.

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