Seat sharing in Left, UDF stumbles on Jose K Mani, PJ Joseph

Seat -Sharing talks are getting prolonged in both the UDF and the LDF.

KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala and former chief minister Oommen Chandy release the campaign slogan, 'UDF for a better Kerala' in Thiruvananthapuram on Wed

KOCHI: UDF launches slogan, promises clean, good governance . CPM almost finalises party candidates LDF govt harps on Central agencies probes, describes them as move to scuttle state's devpt . Orthodox Church bishops hold secret talks with RSS nat'l leader .UDF keeps talks mediated by spiritual leader Sri M burning

Seat -Sharing talks are getting prolonged in both the UDF and the LDF. The reason: Two Kerala Congress (M) factions.Congress leaders have held talks with the P J Joseph faction which has stuck to the demand of 12 seats for three consecutive days. The discussions that continued late into the night, remained inconclusive even after the Joseph faction leaders expressed their willingness to vacate Poonjar or Changanassery seats. While the Congress move is to allocate eight or nine seats to the faction, the seats in Kottayam district have now become the bone of contention.

The Congress wants Changanassery and Ettumanoor, which were contested by an undivided KC (M) in the 2016 assembly polls. The next phase of talks will be held on Friday."An agreement on seat sharing will be reached in two-three days," said Mons Joseph, MLA, leader of the Joseph faction, after Wednesday's talks.
The situation is not too different in the LDF.

For the talks stumbled on the Changanassery seat as the CPI and the Democratic Kerala Congress too — besides the KC (M) Jose K Mani faction — staked claims to the seat. The CPI wants Changanassery as they have already handed over Kanjirappally to the KC(M). The Mani faction considers Changanassery its prestigious seat as senior leader C F Thomas represented it for more than 25 years, though he has switched to the Joseph camp.

But last time, the Democratic Kerala Congress contested the seat and now they want party leader K C Joseph to be fielded here. The CPM has already informed Jose that it cannot allocate the party's sitting seats of Ranni and Perambra to the KC(M). Tiruvalla, contested earlier by the KC(M), has been allocated to the JD (S) as it is their sitting seat.

KC (M) leaders say they cannot hand over seats in their strongholds. "The talks were positive and we hope the party will get the number of seats it deserves. The second-phase discussion will be fruitful," said Jose K Mani, the KC(M) chairman. While the KC (M) is demanding 15 seats, the LDF has agreed to allot them 10 seats.

CHANGANASSERY A WORRY

1. Three parties stake claim to the Changanassery seat
2. CPI has expressed its willingness to exchange the Kanjirappally seat with KC(M) Jose K Mani, but wants Changanassery in return
3. The KC(M) is also keen to have its sitting seat Changanassery Of Poonjar, Kanjirappally
4. KC(J) reportedly asks Congress to choose between Poonjar
5.  and Kanjirappally. But they are firm that they will not part with any of them
6. KCJ is adamant saying it had contested in in six seats in Kottayam 2016 assembly elections. "We cannot agree if we are given only four seats,” said Joy Abraham
7. Chennithala said deal would be finalised in the next two days