The Hindu : Kerala News : Coalition partner quits UDF

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Sunday, Apr 10, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Coalition partner quits UDF

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 9. The Revolutionary Socialist Party (Bolshevik) has set the record of being the first coalition partner to quit the ruling United Democratic Front in protest against the "unilateral" ways of the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy's functioning.

The party took the decision to quit the front at its State committee meeting today. It also decided to expel its lone representative in the Chandy Cabinet, the Labour Minister, Babu Divakaran, for anti-party activities.

Announcing the decisions, the RSP (B) general secretary, A. V. Thamarakshan, lashed out at Mr. Chandy for leading a caucus in the name of the UDF. He said that the party's plenary session held over the last two days and today's State committee meeting were unanimous in the decision to quit the UDF under the leadership of Mr. Chandy.

Offer to quit as MLA

Mr. Thamarakshan revealed that his faction's lone MLA, Shibu Baby John, had expressed his desire to resign his Assembly membership as he had won the Chavara seat on the UDF agenda.

The RSP (B) leader said that the State committee would discuss Mr. Baby John's letter to this effect.

Vehicle campaign

He and Mr. Baby John would lead a vehicle campaign from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram explaining its stand on the issue, he said.

He said that the UDF had become discredited and the only intention of the ruling caucus was to make money rather than create conditions for improving the performance of the UDF and equipping it to perform well in the local body elections and the Assembly poll soon after.

Hopes belied

He said that after Mr. Chandy assumed the UDF mantle following Mr. A. K. Antony's resignation as Chief Minister, it was widely believed that the ruling front would take steps to revive its fortunes. Such hopes had been belied in the subsequent days, with the Chief Minister emerging as the leader of a faction.

Asked whether he had discussed the party's quit notice with either Mr. Antony or Mr. Karunakaran, Mr. Thamarakshan said it was not necessary.

Even though the RSP (B) decision would not have any major impact on the Chandy Government's existence in terms of numbers, the issues that it had sought to raise would come up for debate in the coming days.

The Kerala Congress (Jacob) and the Kerala Congress (B) are contemplating on quitting the front, while the Karunakaran faction in the Congress is inching towards the precipice. The RSP (B)'s decision also reverses the UDF track record as a coalition that has always welcomed anti-Marxist and social forces within its fold.

It is, therefore, possible that the impact of the RSP (B)'s decision is likely to be felt not only in the UDF but also in the Congress.

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