UDF keeps up hectic parleys
KC (M) leadership stood firm in its decision that they need an additional seat totaling 16 seats which the Congress rejected outrightly.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Congress (M) chairman K. M. Mani has said the talks between his party and the Congress would continue after the bilateral talks did not reach anywhere on Monday before the Congress leadership headed to New Delhi.
KC (M) leadership stood firm in its decision that they need an additional seat totaling 16 seats which the Congress rejected outrightly. The high power committee meeting of KC (M) which was held at Water Resources Minister P. J. Joseph’s official residence at Cliff House enclave had decided that they will not part with Poonjar and Kuttanad seats. It is reliably learnt that the Congress leadership had informed Mr Mani that if they give them an additional seat then the smaller allies, too, would exert pressure on them for more seats.
The KC (M), however, did not heed to this theory. But the Congress leaders feel that the KC (M)’s demand that they be given seats which once belonged to the other allies which are no longer in the front is wrong.
“Now there is nothing more to add about the bilateral talks. Only thing I can tell you all are that the talks will resume soon,” Mr Mani said after the high power committee meeting.
Regarding talks with KC (Jacob) group, the Congress leadership reportedly told its chairman Johnny Nelloore and sitting Piravom MLA Anoop Jacob that they would resume talks with them on Thursday morning once they returned from Delhi. Mr Nelloore told DC that the Congress leadership will hold talks with the AICC leadership on parting with Angamaly seat to them and is hoping that at the end, they themselves would get it.
There are reports that NSUI president Roji M. John or Youth Congress State president Dean Kuriakose would contest from Angamaly which is why the senior Congress leadership is apprehensive about parting with the seat.
Congress has given eight seats to JDU – Kalpetta, Koothuparamba, Vaakara, Elathur, Mattannur, Ambalapuzha and Nemom. But the JDU leadership is keen to see that they get Kovalam instead of Nemom. A final decision on this will be taken once the Congress leaders are back.