THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF has decided to send its convener P P Thankachan as an emissary to meet K R Gowri to hold discussion with her on the allegations levelled against the Congress by her.
The main purpose of the mission is to urge her to raise the allegations in the UDF meeting and not in public. For the past four years, Gowri has been raising allegations against the Congress, particularly after her defeat in the last Assembly elections.
In the UDF meeting held here on Tuesday, JSS leader Rajan Babu wanted the Congress to take the initiative to mend the strained relations with the JSS. He urged the Congress leadership to hold discussions with the JSS leader who had been keeping away from the UDF meetings for the past four years.
However, the Congress leaders vehemently opposed the idea saying that it was Gowri who was making statements which put the Congress in a bad light. A Congress leader even asked Rajan Babu to sort out the differences within the JSS first and then demand initiative to resolve the issues with the Congress.
Though the JSS leaders were more eager to have either Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy or KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala to call on the veteran JSS leader personally, the Congress seemed to be not keen on it.
However, it was later decided to send the UDF convener to meet Gowri and to urge her to raise the allegations in the next UDF meeting slated for December 7.
‘’The meeting between Thankachan and Gowri was not intended at settling the differences between the two parties but to give a patient hearing to what Gowri has to say. We will ask her to raise her grievances in the UDF meeting,’’ a Congress leader said.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, UDF convener Thankachan reiterated that all the constituents of the UDF still feel that the JSS should remain and would remain with the UDF. ‘’The present crisis has been triggered owing to certain local issues, which we feel could be resolved,’’ Thankachan said.
He said that the UDF constituents raised several such complaints after the local body elections which would be amicably settled. ‘’It’s the difference of opinion at the local level. For resolving this, we have decided to hold UDF district-level committee meetings in which Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala will take part,’’ he said.
The UDF meeting also decided to take stern action against the local-level leaders who defied the State leadership’s formula and sought the support of communal forces and other religious outfits.
In the meeting, K M Mani expressed serious concern over the way in which the Congress crossvoted to defeat the Kerala Congress (M) candidates in several places.
He alleged that in some places they had even supported the CPM to defeat his party.
The Congress leaders assured Mani that the matter would be dealt with seriously.