Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

UDF partners seek more seats

Special Correspondent

Hedging their positions on the assessment that DIC(K) is unlikely to return home

Thiruvananthapuram : The United Democratic Front (UDF) partners on Friday put pressure on the Congress leadership to concede more seats for them during the resumed discussion on seat sharing.

Most of the UDF partners appeared to be hedging their positions on the basis of their assessment that the DIC(K) was unlikely to return home.

The Janathipathiya Samrakshana Samithi (JSS) of K.R. Gouri did not hide its dissatisfaction at being asked to contest the same number of seat it got last time.

During the bilateral talks with the Congress, the party had asked for an additional seat from among three choices — Aranmula, Kuttanad and Mararikulam. The Congress leaders informed Ms. Gouri that they were not averse to considering an additional seat if the DIC(K) alliance were not to materialise that too if other parties were being given an additional seat.

The CMP leaders demanded an additional seat, but indicated that they would be happy if they were allotted at least two winnable seats instead of being consigned to seats that did not have any hope. CMP leader M.V. Raghavan would most probably seek re-election from the Thiruvananthapuram West constituency.

The Kerala Congress (M) had already demanded 17 seats; up from the 11 it had contested in 2001.

The party has based its demand taking into account the departure of the Kerala Congress (Jacob) from the coalition. The party rightfully feels that it had to concede some of the seat to the KC(Jacob) while it was in the front as part of the coalition arrangement.

The Kerala Congress (B) also demanded additional seats, particularly in Pathanamthitta district, if the other constituents were being considered further accommodation. The RSP(B) and RSP(M) also has put forward similar demands to retain the four seats that the undivided party contested.

All coalition partners appeared to have raised the numbers on the basis of their assessment that the roadblock for the DIC(K)'s return was becoming rough.

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