Samastha to discuss UDF decision to accept Welfare Party of India’s support

An associate of Samastha general secretary K Ali Kutty Musliyar said they had earlier informed UDF leaders not to make any electoral alliance with extremist organisations like WPI.

MALAPPURAM: Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema, the largest Muslim organisation in the state, has decided to discuss the stance taken by the UDF on Friday to accept the support of Welfare Party of India (WPI) considering regional factors in local body elections.The UDF’s stand is against the wishes of Samastha leaders who had requested UDF and IUML not to make electoral alliance with WPI, the political wing of Jama’at-e-Islami. Samastha leaders, in a meeting scheduled here on Saturday, will discuss whether it is necessary for UDF to take the support of WPI based on vote bank in some regions.

An associate of Samastha general secretary K Ali Kutty Musliyar said they had earlier informed UDF leaders not to make any electoral alliance with extremist organisations like WPI. “We will find a solution to the issue through internal discussions if UDF takes support from the WPI,” the official said.Sathar Panthaloor, general secretary of Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation (SKSSF), students’ wing of Samastha, said the decision to welcome the support of WPI will tarnish the secular face of UDF. 

“LDF and other parties will also use the association between UDF and WPI to label UDF as an extremist group. The label will help LDF get more support in local elections. That is why Samastha opposed the tie-up. As UDF decided to accept the support of WPI based on regional circumstances, we will discuss it in the meeting on Saturday,” Panthaloor said.

The UDF decision is seen as a careful one considering the protest from Samastha and taking into account the nature of local body polls where the influence of even a small party can decide the fate of an alliance. 
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala clarified that no tie-ups will be made with parties outside UDF in the polls. 

However, he gave a green signal for taking support from parties outside the alliance based on the circumstances of a region which means there will not be any restrictions to anyone for supporting UDF in the local body election, including WPI. The UDF’s stand might irk  Samastha leaders as they had earlier requested IUML state president Panakkad Sayed Hyderali Shihab Thangal to restrict the UDF from taking help from the Jamaat-e-Islami party in elections.