Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

LDF seat-sharing talks hit snag

Special Correspondent

Discussions confined to campaign strategies and finalisation of manifesto

MAKING A POINT: LDF convener Paloli Mohammed Kutty discussing a point with CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan at the coalition's seat-sharing talks in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan is also seen. - P hoto: C. Ratheesh kumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) State committee began a two-day meeting here on Thursday to finalise seat-sharing and campaign formalities.

In the absence of any agreement between the coalition partners, the LDF meeting could not get into substantive questions of seat-sharing and had to confine its discussions to poll campaign strategies and finalisation of the manifesto.

The only highlight of the meeting was the presence of Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan after the tumultuous happenings on Thursday. Mr. Achuthanandan did not, however, take an active part in the deliberations.

The day began with the LDF constituents holding bilateral discussions on seat-sharing, but the process could not make any headway with the junior partners rejecting the CPI(M) demand for more seats.

Both the Communist Party of India and the Revolutionary Socialist Party were blunt in rejecting the CPI(M) leadership's arguments, but the other partners appeared less confident in doing so. The exercise was still on late in the evening.

At the formal LDF State committee meeting, the discussions were centred on the campaign details like formation of committees at various levels and campaign strategies to be adopted in the days to

The meeting decided to pass copies of the Front's election manifesto to all the parties for their perusal. The views of each constituent will be taken up on Saturday and a final decision taken.

CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said the Front's effort was to complete the seat-sharing exercise by Saturday.

However, it appeared that the CPI(M) might be unable to have things its way in full in so far as taking away more seats from the allies goes.

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