Poll Debacle: Members of UDF Committee Hold Talks

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Informal discussions were held here on Thursday amongst a few members of UDF sub-committee assigned with the task of probing and finalising a report on the rout of the UDF in the last Lok Sabha polls in Palakkad segment.

 In consonance with an undertaking given to the JD(U) by the Congress state leadership  last Tuesday that the report would be availed latest by May 9th, and necessary action would be taken once the report was analysed, final touches were given to the report.

 JD(U) has taken a tough stand on the apparent dilly-dallying of the Congress in giving the report due consideration.

JD(U) state president M P Veerendrakumar took it as a personal challenge since he was the UDF candidate who suffered an ignominious defeat at the hustings.

At the outset of the probe itself, the panel had found that the Congress district leadership was inept and a total failure in campaign work and coordination. It is reliably learned that the report is highly critical of  a few Congress district leaders, including DCC president P Balachandran. It was rumoured that there were behind-the-scene attempts to save the skin of a few who have found mention in the report for their lapses.

 P P Thankachan’s casual approach on the report presentation  had irked the JD(U). Against this backdrop, the JD(U) leadership has demanded stern action against all those found to have erred in the election campaign front and took strong exception to the move to absolve anyone from the list of guilty. It has reached a flash point recently, to the extent of creating ruptures in the UDF.

JD(U)’s possible return to the LDF has attracted much political attraction and added spice to it.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and KPCC president V M Sudheeran vied with each other to please the thespian Veerendrakumar and conceded various demands, as the latter made it clear that he meant political business.

The talks were held at the residence of UDF convenor P P Thankachan, who is the de-facto chairman of the panel now.

R Balakrishna Pillai, who was heading the panel, and his MLA son K B Ganesh Kumar had deserted the UDF recently. Panel members’ Johny Nellore, KC(Jacob) chairman, and Sheikh P Harris, JD(U) state general secretary, took part in the discussions.

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