Congress Working Committee member A.K. Antony on Friday credited the late C.M. Stephen with laying the foundations for the United Democratic Front in the late 1960s by propounding a people’s front against the EMS Namboodiripad ministry.
Inaugurating the C.M. Stephen commemorative function here, Mr. Antony said the Congress was reduced to mere nine members in the Assembly in 1967 as a result of a unique coalition stitched up by E.M.S Namboodiripad.
It was Stephen’s farsightedness that prepared the ground. He had propounded a people’s front by bringing the Kerala Congress on to the platform. This concept later developed into the UDF. Later, it was left to the late K. Karunakaran to translate this concept into concrete action, Mr. Antony said.
KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran, who presided over the function, criticised the Modi government for its refusal to reduce the price of petroleum products despite the steep fall in crude oil prices.
