KOCHI: UDF will look for partners outside the front that are ready to cooperate at the local level to defeat the ruling Left front | IUML backs move, says there is nothing wrong in having such arrangements to bring down ‘corrupt’ LDF | CPM counters, says UDF leadership seems to be under the thumb of Muslim League now
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has decided to have tie-ups with groups and social organisations outside the front that are ready to cooperate at the local level to defeat the ruling LDF. “We are ready for arrangements with groups of people or social organisations who will support us. Our local-level leaders will be encouraged to hold discussions with these groups,” Ramesh Chennithala, Opposition Leader and UDF chairman, told reports in Kochi after the UDF meeting on Friday.Though he was replying to a question on the UDF’s attempts to tie up with the Welfare Party of India, the political arm of Jama’at-e-Islami, Chennithala did not mention that party by name.
“The UDF decision is we can have arrangements at the grassroots level,” he said.Later, P K Kunhalikutty, national general secretary of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second biggest constituent of UDF, told reporters that there was nothing wrong in having “arrangements” with any social groups to defeat the “corrupt” LDF government.
“There is nothing wrong in having arrangements with any social group as long as it’s not a political tie-up,” he said. The UDF leaders were also of the opinion that the decision of Jose K Mani faction of KC(M) to join the LDF will have no impact on its vote share or its electoral prospects in the upcoming local body poll and assembly elections next year. “A large section of people who are supporters of the UDF are, in fact, totally against Jose K Mani’s decision to join the LDF.
Jose has joined forces with people who did not even allow then finance minister K M Mani to present his budget. Their justification for such a move is not digestible to Kerala Congress supporters,” Chennithala said.KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran, KC(M) leader P J Joseph, IUML parliamentary party leader M K Muneer, KC (Jacob) leader Anoop Jacob, MLA, CMP leader C P John, among others, attended the UDF meeting.
Betrayal day
The UDF has decided to observe November 1 as the ‘betrayal day’ to protest the “anti-people and corrupt policies” of the LDF govt, Chennithala said. A team of 10 people each from all wards will attend the stir. About two lakh people in 20,000 wards will take part in the strike, he said.