Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Congress-JSS talks fail to materialise

Thiruvananthapuram: The proposed bilateral talks between the leaders of the Congress and the Janadhipathya Samrakshna Samithi failed to materialise on Wednesday owing to a communication gap over its venue.

The Congress leaders wanted the talks to be held at Cantonment House, official residence of Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy but K.R. Gouri expected the talks to take place at the Government Guesthouse.

Mr. Chandy and KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala maintained that the talks should be held at Cantonment House as was the usual practice followed by the Congress when bilateral talks with United Democratic Front partners are held.

This message was conveyed to Ms. Gouri, who in a statement later, clarified that she had no reservations in holding the talks at the Opposition Leader's residence any time in the coming days as per the convenience of the Congress leaders.

She said she had booked a room at the Government Guesthouse under the impression that the meeting would be held there at 2 p.m. She had been informed by the Congress leaders about the change in the venue.

“The UDF meeting had been scheduled to be held at 3 pm. In the event of the bilateral talks failing, we wanted to avoid a controversy over our attendance at the UDF meeting,” she said in the signed statement.

Responding to questions at a press conference soon after the UDF meeting, coalition convener P.P. Thankachan attributed the failure to hold talks to a communication gap.

He, however, made it clear that all bilateral discussions between the UDF partners had always been held at the Opposition leader's residence and it was not possible to show any special consideration to the JSS.

He said he had been informed by the JSS leaders their willingness to join the talks at a later date.

The UDF leadership was saved from the mounting row to a large extent because Mr. Chennithala had to leave for Kottayam to pay last respects to Pala K.M. Mathew, who died on Wednesday, before his onward journey to Doha to attend a few functions. The meeting would have been infructuous without the KPCC president, according to Mr. Thankachan.

The new dates have not been finalised, but it unlikely to materialise soon owing to other pre-occupation of the Congress leaders.

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