Kerala - Kochi   

DIC(K) entry: UDF leaves it to Congress

Special Correspondent

Front constitutes manifesto, campaign committees

Kochi: A leadership meeting of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) here Saturday left it to the Congress leadership to decide whether K. Karunakaran and his party, the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran), should be accommodated in the coalition. Pending a decision, the coalition leaders also decided to initiate bilateral discussions on sharing of seats on March 8 and 9.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala told a press conference here on Saturday that the UDF leaders wanted the Congress leadership to consult the party high command at the earliest and take a decision.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, UDF convener P.P. Thankachan said the leaders had discussed the inclusion of the DIC(K) in the coalition. Each of the UDF partners had expressed its respective views on the matter. The meeting arrived at a consensus that the onus was on the Congress to take a final decision on the matter after consultations with the party high command.

Mr. Thankachan pleaded confidentiality to a number of questions relating to the parameters for bringing the DIC(K) back. Asked whether the UDF sought to convey a positive message to Mr. Karunakaran, Mr. Thankachan said the message could be read between the lines.

The UDF leaders met in the background of the Assembly election, but the DIC(K) issue was the main topic of discussion. The meeting set up committees for manifesto and campaign, besides formulating its pre-election work. Mr. Thankachan said the former UDF convener K. Sankaranarayanan would head the manifesto committee. The campaign committee is headed by M.M. Hassan. The manifesto committee would have Aryadan Mohammed, Kadavoor Sivadasan, E.T. Mohammed Basheer, C.F. Thomas, R. Balakrishna Pillai, Rajan Babu and P.P. George as its members. The campaign committee would have as its members P.P. George, Joy Abraham, V.K. Ebrahim Kunju, Babu Divakaran, K.R. Aravindakshan, K.B. Ganesh Kumar and Shibu Baby John.

The UDF is convening district-level workers' meeting on March 11 and 12. It directed its Assembly constituency committees to meet before March 20.

Mr. Thankachan accused the Left Democratic Front (LDF) of having scuttled the implementation of the Pay Commission report for Government employees and teachers. He said the Chief Election Commission arrived at its view in the context of the LDF boycotting an all-party meeting convened by the Government to discuss the implementation of the report.

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