Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

UDF to begin discussions on sharing of board posts

Thiruvananthapuram: The United Democratic Front (UDF) will soon begin talks on sharing of posts on boards and corporations among its constituents, with the target date of August 18 for their reconstitution.

The high-power committee (HPC) of the UDF has established a committee, headed by its convener P.P. Thankachan, to work out the modalities of sharing the posts, which include chairpersons and members of various boards and corporations under the State government's control. According to sources, there are more than 100 such posts. Under the coalition system, these slots are part of a unique sharing process that begins right from the sharing of seats for the Assembly elections.

Usually, the numbers that each constituent would get are based on its relative strength in the Assembly, with the Congress getting a preferential treatment on account of its status as the coalition major. The UDF has arrived at anl understanding that the constituents would get back the slots they had held. The situation is different from previous occasions.

Fair accommodation

The UDF leadership would have to ensure fair accommodation to two coalition partners, the Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samithi (JSS) and the Communist Marxist Party (CMP), which have not been successful in the Assembly elections this time. The Congress itself has fewer MLAs and would have to confront the Indian Union Muslim League and the Kerala Congress(M)'s conflicting claims. The Congress has already gone ahead and nominated a few of its leaders to some of the boards, for example the nomination of the former Haripad MLA Babu Prasad as non-official member of the Kerala State Electricity Board.

The JSS and the CMP are sure to demand some of the prime slots, but the Congress leaders, during the course of the discussions, made it clear that these parties should not have high expectations. The UDF leadership would also have to provide accommodation to the Socialist Janata (Democratic), a new constituent.

Some of the high profile slots include the post of chairman of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation, Norka-Roots, Kerala State Forest Development Corporation, Rubbermark, Consumerfed, Kerafed, various labour welfare boards, to name a few.

In addition, the various slots are used to achieve a fair communal representation.

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