The United Democratic Front (UDF) will announce the first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections on February 20, front convener Benny Behanan has said.
Addressing the media here on Saturday, he said the UDF would hold meetings of its allies for three days from February 18. “We will be the first to announce the candidates’ list without any hitches,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran said the party and the UDF would continue their agitation against Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel until he resigned from his post. Mr. Ramachandran csaid the Lok Ayukta seeking all documents related to the appointment of K.T. Adeeb, the Minister’s cousin, in the Kerala State Minorities Development Finance Corporation proved that there was some merit in the nepotism charges against him.
Mr. Ramachandran, who is on a Statewide ‘Janamaha Yatra,’ reiterated his allegation on an “understanding” between the BJP and the CPI(M) to undermine his party’s chances in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Mr. Ramachandran said the silence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on the revelations related to the corruption in the Rafale deal was a proof of this. He alleged that the BJP was utilising the SNC-Lavalin corruption case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in which Mr. Vijayan is one of the accused, to scare the Chief Minister.
“If the CBI conducts a proper probe into the case, Mr. Vijayan will be behind bars,” he said.
Mr. Ramachandran alleged that Mr. Vijayan was not supporting the demand for a CPI(M)-Congress alliance in West Bengal was to help the BJP. “The State leaders of the Congress are planning to even share a stage with CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury. But Mr. Vijayan is yet to understand the reality even now,” he said.
