The Hindu : Kerala News : Stick to UDF manifesto: Jacob

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Stick to UDF manifesto: Jacob

By Our Staff Reporter

KANNUR, SEPT. 14. The Kerala Congress (Jacob) leader and former Water Resources Minister, T.M. Jacob, has warned the Oommen Chandy Government not to act as a Government with a fresh mandate as the new Cabinet is a continuation of the previous one led by A.K. Antony.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr. Jacob said the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, should take adequate caution to ensure that the new Cabinet did not take any such major policy decisions as would have been taken by a Government with a fresh mandate. Without elaborating further, Mr. Jacob said his party would publicly oppose if any decision of the Government deviated from the United Democratic Front (UDF) manifesto.

Party units

Mr. Jacob said that efforts were under way to activate the party local units. District-level conventions would be held between October 30 and November 22 with the objective of explaining to party workers and the public the political developments that led to the denial of Cabinet berth to his party.

Merger

Asked if his party was exploring the possibility of a merger with the Kerala Congress (Joseph), which is a constituent of the LDF, he said his party still stood by its earlier stand that underlined the unity of all Kerala Congress factions. No formal talks had been held with the Kerala Congress(J) leader, P.J. Joseph, he said. He, however, added that in politics there was no permanent friend or foe.

Mr. Jacob said that the UDF constituents were yet to be formally informed of its candidate for the election of the Assembly Speaker on September 16. His party MLAs would, however, support the candidature of the Congress MLA, Therambil Ramakrishnan, announced by Mr. Chandy in New Delhi, he said.

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