Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

LDF hopes to settle row on sharing of seats for local body polls soon

Special Correspondent

Congress(S) stays away from front's meeting

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress (S), a long-time partner in the Opposition LDF, stayed away from the LDF State committee meeting here on Tuesday in protest against what it termed the Front leadership's discriminatory attitude towards it. Congress(S) State president Ramachandran Kadannappalli left here for Kannur on Monday night after handing over a letter to LDF convener Paloli Mohammed Kutty expressing dismay at what he termed the rough treatment being meted out to traditional allies even while the Front leadership accommodated the demands of the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran). The LDF convener, however, told reporters after the LDF meeting that some of Mr. Kadannappalli's concerns had already been addressed and that any outstanding issue would be resolved in a day or two.

Mr. Mohammed Kutty said he had told Mr. Kadannappalli not to stay away from the meeting. He (the LDF convener) had got in touch with the CPI(M) district committees and told them to be as accommodative as possible. There was no question of the LDF leaving the Congress(S) behind, he said.

The LDF convener conceded that there were disputes in some places regarding seat-sharing and allocation of wards, but said these were natural given the 30,000-odd seats at stake and the contesting claims of parties, who had their own estimation of their strength. There were minor disputes between LDF constituents and also between the LDF and the DIC. In places where there could be no resolution, there would be friendly contests, he said.

Dispute in Kasaragod

He also admitted that there was dispute between the CPI(M) and CPI in Kasaragod district where the CPI had demanded five seats against the four it had won last time. There was also confusion over the choice of seats as some of the reserved seats that the CPI had won last time had become open seats. These matters were being settled at the local level. In general, instructions had been issued to all district LDF committees to resolve disputes at their level and seek the State leadership's help to tackle disputes that could not be resolved at their level, he added.

Asked whether the LDF was satisfied with the statement made by former IFDP leader P.C. Thomas while merging his party with the Kerala Congres (Joseph), the LDF convener replied in the negative and said when a person who was in the company of the BJP leaves it, he has the duty to explain to the people why he has done so. Merger between an LDF constituent and another party was the internal matter of that constituent, but when it affected the basic principles upheld by the LDF, there was need for absolute clarity, he pointed out.

On the local-level understanding with DIC, he said that in places where the LDF could not defeat the UDF, it would make way for the DIC and that the Front expected the DIC do the same in places where it cannot defeat the UDF. In several local bodies, the UDF had entered into alliance with the BJP. The LDF slogan for the election would be `Defeat UDF-BJP candidates, elect LDF nominees.'

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