Kozhikode (Kerala) | Senior Congress leader Mullappally Ramachandran on Tuesday raised apprehensions over the inclusion of more parties as allies in the opposition UDF in the state, citing difficulties in accommodating their demands.
He was responding to the UDF's decision to include the Trinamool Congress (Kerala unit), led by former MLA P V Anvar, the Janadhipathya Rashtriya Party (JRP), led by tribal leader C K Janu, and the Kerala Kamaraj Congress, led by Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan, as associate parties.
Speaking to reporters, the former KPCC president said there were practical difficulties in including all parties and addressing their demands for MLA seats.
"The UDF cannot be seen as a wayside inn. I do not agree with turning the UDF into a refuge for opportunists," he said.
Referring to P V Anvar, who left the LDF following differences with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Ramachandran advised patience. "Whether in an alliance or within a party, one should not make public statements or speak against discipline," he said.
On the Kerala Kamaraj Congress, whose leader Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan denied seeking entry into the UDF, Ramachandran said he had never heard of such a party earlier. Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan, however, said Chandrasekharan had approached him seeking inclusion in the UDF.
"He met us and held discussions through a liaison, after which we decided to include his party. Now we do not know why he backtracked. Probably, it was an attempt to bargain with another alliance," Muraleedharan told reporters. He said credibility was crucial in politics.
"Kamaraj was a genuine leader. A party in his name and its leader should not have taken such a stand," he added.
Chandrasekharan, meanwhile, said discussions with UDF leaders were held around four months ago, but the situation changed after the local body elections.
"In the local body elections, we contested as part of the NDA and won two seats. So the matter ended there," he said.
When asked whether he backtracked due to dissatisfaction over being offered only associate status in the UDF, Chandrasekharan said no party could be included without its consent.
"Our state committee will meet to discuss the upcoming elections, after which we will take further decisions," he said.\ Chandrasekharan also said he had expressed unhappiness with the NDA earlier and that its leaders had contacted him seeking clarification.
"We have several complaints. They have not yet addressed our dissatisfaction," he said.
