UDF expresses disinterest in NCP

Kochi, Dec 18 (UNI) Indicating UDF's disinterest in the NCP joining the opposition front in Kerala, UDF Convenor P P Thankachan today said there was no discussion on the issue at today's meeting of the UDF.

Briefing mediapersons after a meeting of the UDF liaison committee here, Mr Thankachan said that for the UDF, the NCP's entry is a ''closed chapter''.

He said there was no discussion on the issue of Mr T M Jacob, who had parted ways with the UDF two years ago, returning to the front.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was thrown out of the ruling LDF recently following the merger of the K Karunakaran-led Democratic Indira Congress with it.

Accusing the LDF of not practising ''political morality'', Mr Thankachan said that the left front had taken the NCP's help in the Thiruvambadi assembly by-election earlier this month and then thrown it out.

Describing the LDF's victory in Thiruvambadi as a ''mere technicality'', Mr Thankachan said the margin of victory was only 246 votes as against the earlier margin of over 5,000 votes.

He also accused the LDF of misusing government machinery and exploiting communal sentiments during the campaigning.

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