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Congress to look into shortcomings: Chennithala

Special Correspondent

Kochi: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala, on Saturday, said the KPCC executive would be convened soon to take stock of the reasons for the below-par victory of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Assembly elections.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Chennithala said the preliminary assessment was that there were shortcomings in the selection of candidates by the Congress and its allies.

He said overconfidence among the rank and file of the UDF in the wake of its thumping victory in Lok Sabha and local body elections could have narrowed the victory margin.

The misleading propaganda unleashed against the front by Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader V.S. Achuthanandan and the wrong selection of candidates could also have affected the UDF's performance.

He said the issue of the Congress drawing a blank in the districts of Kasaragod, Kozhikode, Kollam and Idukki would also be discussed.

Mr. Chennithala pooh-poohed the theory that the ‘VS factor' led to the below-par performance of the UDF. He said every election need not be a repeat of earlier performances. He alleged that Mr. Achuthanandan who had done nothing for the past five years had raked up decades-old cases against some of the UDF constituents at the eleventh hour and launched false propaganda against the front's leaders.

Mr. Chennithala said a simple majority government would be more cohesive and there would not be any lethargic rule. Therefore, such a government could be good for the people.

He said it was not a question of the UDF constituents putting pressure on the new government but of how their views were accommodated. He said the UDF would move forward after taking into account the views of all its constituents.

On Kerala Congress (M) leader K.M. Mani's statement that the UDF had benefited from his party's merger with the Kerala Congress (Joseph) while he had to take the rap, Mr. Chennithala said Mr. Mani had not raised any complaints when they spoke.

He said the decision on the next Chief Minister would be taken by the party high command and the newly elected MLAs at the Congress legislature party meeting.

Mr. Chennithala said the CPI(M)-led LDF had got only 68 seats this time, down from 100 in the 2006 Assembly polls, which showed that the people were disenchanted with its rule.

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