United Democratic Front (UDF) convener P.P. Thankachan said here on Thursday that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy would take a call on the re-induction of Kerala Congress(B) nominee K.B. Ganesh Kumar into the Cabinet.
Addressing a press conference soon after a UDF liaison committee meeting, Mr. Thankachan said an earlier meeting of the front had authorised the Chief Minister to take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time. The issue of Mr. Ganesh Kumar’s re-entry was not discussed at Thursday’s UDF meeting since that was not a matter to be discussed openly. It was left to the Chief Minister to consult any other leader prior to taking a decision, he added.
Yet another attempt would be made to sort out issues related to the constitution of corporations and boards, with Mr. Chandy, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala, and Mr. Thankachan holding separate bilateral talks with the parties concerned.
Resolution
Against backdrop of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s call for unity in the ruling coalition, the UDF committee adopted a resolution “fully encompassing the spirit of Ms. Gandhi’s exhortation” to work in a united manner and begin preparations for the coming Lok Sabha elections. Mr. Thankachan said the Chief Minister, Mr. Chennithala, and he would hold bilateral discussions with constituent leaders, including that of the Indian Union Muslim League, to sort out irritants, if any. In reply to a question on the terms of reference for the proposed judicial inquiry into the solar scam, Mr. Thankachan dismissed the Opposition’s threat of non-cooperation. “The Opposition should be dignified…. The draft terms of reference were circulated for their opinion. The Opposition would not cooperate with the judicial probe in any case since its agitations and positions were politically motivated.’’
The UDF expressed its apprehension at the new friendship emerging between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left with the sole purpose of reducing the numbers of UDF MPs in the next Lok Sabha. The bid to reduce the number of Congress lawmakers was intended to prevent it from emerging as the single largest party in the next House. Such tie-ups would only promote communal forces, a dangerous trend for democratic forces, Mr. Thankachan said.
