Kodiyeri urges PJ Joseph to come out of UDF

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM has joined party to the internecine war in the Kerala Congress (Mani) in the wake of the Pala byelection saying the Joseph faction should come out of the United Democratic Front (UDF) as the UDF election convention held in Pala the other day humiliated its leader P.J. Joseph.

"Mr Joseph's continuance in the UDF has become untenable with the humiliation he had to suffer at the UDF convention," CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said in Thiruvanathapuram on Sunday. "UDF leaders including Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala did nothing to contain it. No UDF leader had to face such a treatment till now. It's all part of a Congress plan to eliminate the Kerala Congress.  It's now for Mr Joseph to decide on his future." Mr Joseph should take a public stand on the issue, he said.

The CPM leader said the developments in Pala were the signs of the collapse of the UDF as a political entity as it showed a divided front in Pala.

Meanwhile, Mr Joseph denied any attempt to humiliate him in the UDF meet. Mr Joseph, who had vowed not to be part of the UDF election machine and asserted that his faction will campaign on its own for the UDF candidate, also showed signs of a thaw within the front. He said in Thodupuzha that the faction may not go ahead with a separate campaign for now. The party has asked two senior leaders Joy Abraham and Mons Joseph to study the situation and report to the party on its campaign strategy, he said.