The United Democratic Front (UDF) took the first step towards sorting out the issues it has with Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samithi (JSS) leader K.R. Gouri with front convener P.P. Thankachan calling on the veteran leader at her residence here on Thursday.
Mr. Thankachan, who held closed-door discussions with Ms. Gouri and leaders of her party for over an hour, later told presspersons that he had come to give ear to her complaints and to invite her to the next meeting of the UDF. He said that several of the issues raised by her could be settled only after holding more talks at higher levels.
Accordingly, the complaints she had regarding the functioning of the UDF would be conveyed to the UDF leadership, while those related to the Congress would be conveyed to the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) leadership. On her participation in the UDF meeting, Ms. Gouri would take a decision after holding consultations with her party leaders, Mr. Thankachan said.
Ms. Gouri, he said, had asserted that she was still very much a part of the UDF.
The JSS leader said she would wait for more talks with the UDF and KPCC leadership and the final decision on continuing in the UDF would be taken only after her party's plenum on January 9. The plenum is being convened to discuss this issue, and whether she would participate in UDF meetings before that would be decided shortly by her party.
??I can't say whether all issues will end here or not, but I definitely know that more talks have to be held,'' she said.
Mr. Thankachan later hinted that he had conveyed to her that it was better if allies of the UDF showed restraint in making public statements since any issue could be sorted out through discussions. He quipped that the notions of certain quarters that Ms. Gouri would quit the UDF were misplaced.
Mr. Thankachan, before meeting Ms. Gouri, had held discussions with her party leaders A.N. Rajan Babu, K.K. Shaju, MLA, and others at the State Guest House here.
